Metamorphosis
by ConvictionSC
Summary: Reboot of Second In Command. 2174- 16 year-old Miles Hutcherson escapes from his father and trains under Spectre Tantus Bexcal. From clueless teenager to bounty hunter to N7, he meets new friends, mentors, and faces old foes. With Ceberus lurking in the background, will he be able to stand up to those who want his life? Final chapter: Alternatives. See sequel, Apotheosis!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello, my dear readers. Welcome to the first chapter of Metamorphosis. This is the sequel/chronological prequel to my other series Second In Command, which is at its penultimate chapter as of now. A warm welcome back to my 23 subscribers (if you guys are subscribing to this already) as well as an 'aloha' to you newcomers who didn't know about its existence.**

**This series, in short, recounts the details and happenings of Miles Colburn's life over the span of twelve years, from 2174 to 2186. This would most probably be longer than SIC and will contain an entirely OC cast, with of course, cameos of Zaeed Massani, Ashley Williams, Kaidan Alenko, Admiral Steven Hackett, Admiral David Anderson, Lieutenant James Vega, as well as Donnell Udina, though definitely not at the same time. As its predecessor, this will be told in the third person respective, with POVs of almost every single character as they are introduced along the way.**

**That said, I hope you guys will love it better than the first one, and of course, remember to rate, review, and subscribe!**

**And yes, this is the same guy that appears in iBayne's Galaxy At War: N7. Though as of now, that Colburn is dead... Or dying, if you wanna be optimistic.**

**Summary: Once believing that his father was innocent, Miles Hutcherson is now on the run from the very same man who wants him dead. But, with the assistance of his mentor, Tantus Bexcal, he begins to prepare to put Systems Alliance Rear Admiral Gregory Hutcherson to justice, experiencing life changing lessons along the way.**

**Read chapter 11 of Second In Command for the full background of Miles Colburn.**

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Chapter one: Welcome to survival school.

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-2174, Citadel-

_Miles_

It had been a week since he ran away. Miles still didn't know what to make of everything. The first thing the Spectre did was to arrange for the both of them to go to Citadel. _You'll be safe over there, _he said. _Sure,_ but he didn't say that _safety_ actually meant staying in a small apartment for five days straight. He could feel himself going crazy by the second.

Tantus hadn't visited at all, not even once. All the Turian did was dump the sixteen year old at the apartment and said: "There's food and water here to last you long enough. I'll be back.", before leaving. Miles had found the door locked tight, and that there was no extranet connection at all.

The sudden sound of the door unlocking brought the teenager to his feet. Christ. _What do I do know?_ He grabbed the only decent thing he could find - a vase - and hid behind the couch. _Here_ _goes._ Miles heard the door open and the dull _thud_ on the carpeted floor indicated a rather heavy individual walking into the apartment. "It's me. Come out."

_Thank God. _Miles pushed himself onto his feet. "Where the hell have you been, man? You just dumped me here alone! No extranet, no television, no nothing! I am being quarantined over here?", he demanded.

The Spectre merely mused at his reaction. "Relax, kid. I had to settle some things for you. Come on. I gotta take you to a place."

"_Finally._ I thought you were just gonna lock me up in this place.", he grumbled.

"Trust me, son. There are lots of worst places I can lock you up in."

Miles scoffed. "_No kidding._"

**A/N: Here's a short introduction to the two most important characters as of now. This is short, but don't worry about the length. Future updates are going to be a lot longer. So until then, goodnight, and big balls. :D**

**Ps: I don't think this is going to be updated soon, so take your time to read SIC and catch up on the story. I'm going to write the last chapter now. If it's completed by the time you read this, please _still_ go write a review/comment, alright? Every single review counts, whenever and wherever.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey there now. We've got two new subscribers! Woohoo! Warm welcome to Jyggalag and Extra-Planetal! No one from SIC has subscribed though... Sometimes I can't help but wonder if people subscribed to that for the sake of it. It just feels as if no one reads it. Anyway, glad you two like it. Now for chapter 2.**

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Chapter 2: It's not your choice. It's Hobson's.

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_Miles_

The sight before him was breathtaking, to say the least. Miles went wide-eyed at the beautiful scenery in front of him. The term 'feast for the eyes' was a gross understatement. "Dude, this place is amazing! Where is this? Paradise?"

Tantus merely chuckled. "_This,_ Miles, is the Presidium. It's home to the many embassies, as well as the Citadel Council. Come on, follow me.". He placed a firm grip on the lad's shoulder, and steered him towards an elevator.

"Wow. You know, my err...". _Dad,_ he wanted to say, but it didn't seem appropriate, considering the current circumstances.

"Father?"

"Uh, yeah. He used to bring me to the Citadel every time he had business over here, but we never actually came to the Presidium. We always went to the wards."

"I see.". The Spectre led him to what Miles read as 'Spectre's Terminal'.

"What are we doing over here?"

Tantus didn't reply. Instead, the security VI chimed: "Spectre status confirmed. Good day, General Bexcal."

The General gestured for Miles to follow him, and soon enough, the teenager found himself in a room full of guns, as well as a weapon bench. "Catch.", Tantus ordered as he threw him a pistol. The sixteen year old barely caught it.

"Damn. This is heavy...", he muttered to himself.

The Turian turned towards him. "I want you to shoot the targets."

"Are you crazy? I can barely hold this thing! Besides, I'm only sixteen! Sixteen year olds don't shoot guns!"

"_Normal_ sixteen year olds don't shoot guns. Having your father hiring assassins to kill you _isn't_ _normal._ From now on, you're going to train. You're going to be an assassin. _You'll act like an assassin. Think like an assassin_.", he retorted.

"So I can go kill other people? You're mad, you know that? I'm not going to shoot people!". Miles simply dropped the pistol to make his point clear.

In the blink of an eye, Tantus had his own gun trained at the human. "Then I might as well kill you myself right now."

"Holy shit, Jesus! What the hell are you doing?". The teenager raised both his hands up immediately.

"Isn't it? If you don't even care about your own safety, why should I waste my time?"

"Dude, look man. You don't have to kill to protect yourself. I can just go somewhere far, like Tiptree! He can't find me! I can just live in peace! See, I don't have to shoot somebody!"

"Wake up, boy. Your father _will_ find you. He'll stop at nothing to have you six feet under. Those assassins he hired don't give a damn if you're sixteen. All it is to them is just to put a bullet between the eyes of a bloody boy, and receive a fat paycheck. Unless you train to be a killer better than them, you'll never live past your next birthday. _Mark my words._"

"I-". After so long, Miles was still struggling to come to terms with his father's true nature. But he couldn't run from reality any longer. Time to face the truth. He bent down and picked up the pistol. "Okay... I'll- I'll train..."

Tantus holstered his gun. "Good. Guess there's still hope for you after all.". The Turian handed him a datapad. "Here. Take it. Memorise it well."

"What's this?"

"Your new identity. Your new life."

Warily, Miles scanned his eyes over the datapad. It was his history file. Born on Earth... Check. Date of birth... Check. "Hang on. My last name isn't Colburn."

"I changed it. Miles Colburn is your new name."

"What?"

"It's necessary. You go out on the streets as Miles Hutcherson, you won't survive past the front door. I would've altered everything if it weren't so complicated. You're lucky I've only changed your name."

"But you can't change it like that! I'm Miles Hutcherson!"

Tantus placed a hand on his shoulder. "Son, listen very carefully. Miles Hutcherson is dead. He's gone, nonexistent. Miles Colburn is who you are right now, and will be, for the rest of your life. I'm sorry, but there's no other way."

"I...". _He's right._ He steeled himself. "Okay. You wanna train me? Than start training.". Miles trained his gun down the range. "Do it."

Without another word, Tantus initiated their first training session. "Precision training: activate."

_Attaboy, Miles. You can do it._

**A/N: There you go. That's chapter 2 for ya. To be honest, I'm still feeling kinda empty inside. In fact, I'm starting to yearn to write a Cole?Ash fluff oneshot. Christ, what's happening to me?**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Why hello. We've got a subscriber from SIC! Hello, iBayne! And, I'm struggling to come up with a summary for the first story, but I can't seem to do it. Help, anyone? I suck at summaries. You should take a look at my summary writing grades for my school homework. .**

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Chapter 3: You didn't think it was that simple, did you?

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-Three months later, firing range-

_Colburn_

The teenager was still trying to get a grab on things. The previous quarter of a year had been worse than any boot camp he'd been at. A strictly controlled diet, an even stricter exercise routine, and a whole lot of time spent at the firing range. The first few sessions had been disastrous, with him flinching at every shot fired. The room would most probably have crumbled at the countless bullet holes embedded in its walls, which were thankfully made of steel.

However, his muscle mass had increased considerably, and he was now able to handle pistols with relative ease. Still, Colburn knew it wasn't enough. If he were to survive, he would have to make sure that he scored a headshot for every single round fired. As of the moment, the best he attained was a measly three out of twelve.

_Bam. Bam. Bam. _Colburn fired off the last few rounds in his pistol. He glanced at the electronic scoreboard. _Seven headshots out of twelve rounds. _He punched a fist in the air. "Oh yeah! Who's your daddy!"

A deep throaty cough came from behind him. "That's not even _half good_. Why are you celebrating?"

"Aww come on, Tantus. You ever heard of encouragement? Milestones?". The Spectre merely glared at him. _Guess not. _Colburn returned to his usual spot, preparing for another precision exercise.

"Come here for a minute.". His tone was unusually pleasant, like that false sense of calm before a tornado was about to arrive.

"What's up?", the teenager asked warily.

"I've taken a look at your biological report. Do you, by any chance, have any knowledge of your natural predisposition for biotics?"

"I uh... Yeah. The doc told me about it when I was around five. But since I had no interest in the military life, I didn't get an implant. Why?"

"Well, how about now? Biotics will give you an edge in combat. You do know that you'll be facing a potentially violent future."

"Hold your horses, buddy. _One,_ I'm already sixteen. I'm too old for an implant. Besides, even if I do get one, I won't be able to have biotic powers anyway. Didn't you hear? People have been training since _six_ so as to mature their abilities, and most of them are barely proficient. It's just a waste of time, pain and money. _Two,_ those L2 implants make people mad! Haven't you read the news? L3, on the other hand, aren't powerful enough. Seriously, what's the point?"

Tantus smiled, as if he had been expecting the human to say that. "Well, don't you worry about that. One, the _Alliance_ has only L2 and L3s. I'm a Spectre. I've recently acquired L5 implants. They're several times more powerful and safer. Second, I have a strategy to... _curb,_ your power mastery issues."

"And what's that?". Colburn didn't like the way the conversation was going.

"Red sand."

His eyes widened. "Oh no. Hell bloody _no._ You're telling me to touch that stuff?". He couldn't believe what he was hearing. _A Spectre, telling me to touch drugs? What has this galaxy come to?_

"Relax. I'm not telling you to sniff it. Secondary exposure to the substance as well as Minagen X3 will result in enhanced telekinetic biotic capabilities. The effects will allow you to experience the effects of years of intense training in a matter of months, if you do it correctly."

"And what if I don't, huh? What if I just drop into an endless abyss? You'll never be able to save me!"

"I've already done the necessary preparations-"

"You've _already_ prepared everything? What, you think I'm just going to say yes? You planned this all along, didn't you?"

"Listen-"

"No! I'm not listening! You're just sending me to my death! I can't believe this, Tantus!"

Colburn stormed out of the firing range.

_This is ridiculous!_

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-Later that evening, Tantus' residence-

_Tantus_

"You do know that the boy doesn't have a choice, right mate?"

"I know, Massani. But I don't blame him. No one's ever tried this before. It's very risky. I myself don't have the confidence that it'll work. What if he has a point?"

"It's either this, or die, my friend. Hutcherson sent a bunch of low-lifes to look for him today. You're lucky my band of brothers kept an eye out. We put every single one of 'em down just now. There were seven of them. _Five were biotics._"

The Spectre sighed. "I appreciate the assist, Zaeed. You have my gratitude.". Tantus was about to talk about something else when he noticed movement outside his study. "I'll talk to you again. I have company."

The mercenary smirked. "Tell him I said hi.". The screen promptly turned dark.

The Turian glanced towards the door. "You can come in now.". No response. "Do you want to walk in on your own, or do I have to drag you in?". The door opened to reveal a sheepish looking Colburn. "You've heard everything, haven't you?". The boy nodded.

"Did- did he really send those men after me?"

"I wish it was a lie too, kid.". Colburn had his eyes glued to the floor. "Now, do you see my concerns?"

He replied only after a silent ten minutes. "Do it. I'll get the implants."

"Are you sure?"

"Now you're doubting me? After I agreed?"

"You do know there's no turning back? I don't want you to regret anything."

"If I don't get them, I die, _for sure._ If I do, there's a _probability_ that I'll die too. I think I'd rather take my chances. I'll die either way. Why not die trying?"

Tantus was impressed. "I think I like you, kid. You've got spunk."

"Oh, I'm sure you do."

**A/N: Believe it or not, when I write Tantus, it's really the same as writing Colburn from SIC, only with a different name.**


	4. This is just the start

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Chapter 4: This is just the start.

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-4 months later-

_Tantus_

"How is he?"

"Your student's progress is nothing less than astounding, General. His results are off the charts... Biotic prowess is excellent. It's as if he had been under going training for the past ten years... Wonderful. However, dependence on Minagen X3 worrying... Would suggest cold turkey, but I'm afraid it'll affect what we have accomplished. I'm expecting a decrease in performance level, along with temporary deterioration in vision."

"We don't have a choice. I would've let him continue with the project, but anymore and he'll turn into another one of those junkies on Omega... Will the decrease in performance be drastic?"

"Will be obviously weaker, but his proficiency will still be multiple times better than if he actually trained for ten years. I'd consider this a success. Recommend he be restrained during withdrawal period. Prone to violence during rehabilitation."

"I see... Well then, initiate withdrawal phase. Thank you, Dr Jordum."

"You're welcome. Excuse me."

Tantus watched the Salarian doctor exit the observation room. His eyes shifted to Colburn, in the room on the other side of the one-way mirror. The whole process was hard to watch, much less go through for the sixteen year old. At first, after initial exposure to both Red Sand as well as Minagen X3, his biotic capabilities spiked higher than any human biotic the Spectre had ever seen before. With the daily twelve-hour biotic training, Colburn's abilities had tremendously improved. However, as his biotic prowess increased, so did his addiction and reliance on the drugs.

After every session, Colburn would appear lethargic, even to the point of looking like a walking zombie. Each time, the dosage needed to get him up and running again would grow larger. As vital as the results were, his student's sanity was most important. Tantus had decided that their goals were reached. Now was the final stage to wean him off of the drugs.

This was also the part that the Turian was most worried about. It was either make or break. Everything depended on the human's willpower. Should he give in, or prove to be susceptible to the substances, insanity would be the only consequence.

He watched as two Salarian scientists drag the drained biotic away.

_Come on, Colburn. You can do this. We're so close. You can't fail._

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_Colburn_

_No... What are they doing? Can't... Think... Straight..._

Colburn watched helplessly as two Salarian scientists shackled his wrists and ankles, effectively restraining him to the chair. What was meant to be _'what the hell are you doing_' came out vocally as an incoherent mumble.

"This might sting a bit.". He saw one of them take out a syringe gun. "Deep breath.". The young biotic felt a sharp pain in his neck. "Sedative. Should put you to sleep long enough for addiction to wear off."

"What...? No... I..."

His speech slurred into nothingness as drowsiness overtook him.

**A/N: Bet you guys didn't expect that Colburn got his biotics this way eh?"**


	5. The journey begins

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Chapter 5: The journey begins.

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-February 2175-

_Tantus_

"You should take a break."

"You know that's not gonna happen, Tantus. You've seen my performance during the simulation just now. My shockwave wasn't strong enough, my biotic charge was too weak. And I could only launch one pull projectile instead of two."

"_Colburn._"

"Fine.". The biotic deactivated the program and took of the sim goggles.

"Don't take things too hard. You're making tremendous progress."

"It's not enough. You've seen what I did during phase one. I could tear seven mechs apart _at once. _Now the best I can do is _two_ at a time. I'm not doing the best I can."

"You're off the drugs now. A dip in performance level is natural. You're doing perfectly fine."

"I can do it! I just need more practice. A little bit more time. You _know_ what I can do."

Tantus sighed. They had managed to get Colburn out of the treatment with his sanity mostly intact, but the biotic had been pushing himself harder than ever since he found out that his powers were substantially weaker than when he was hooked up.

On the other hand though, the Turian was glad to see his student eager to be battle-ready. But perhaps a little too eager.

"Stop your biotics for a little bit. We're going to focus on something else."

"Why?"

"Because you're going to burn out your implants sooner or later at this rate.", _though not literally. _"We're going to see which is your tool of destruction.". Tantus led the youngster to his personal weapons rack. "As you can see, there are all sorts of guns over here. Snipers, assault rifles, pistols, submachine guns, shotguns... For the next few months, you are going to familiarize yourself with each and every single one of 'em."

"_Every single one? _". Colburn's voice was tinged with doubt.

"Yes."

"I'm not carrying everything to battle, am I? A sniper rifle in public? Really?"

"No. You're only going to take the one that you feel suits you best. However, everything and anything can happen in a firefight. _Wherever, whenever, however. _You could be going for lunch at Zakera ward, or you could be sleeping at home. You might be armed, or empty handed. And then, you'll have to use anything you can get your hands on."

"Well then, let's get cracking."

Tantus noticed the young man had agreed without any hesitation or questions, contrary to when they first met, where he had to ask and question the Turian's every move and decision. "Have a weapon you want to try out already?"

Colburn picked a Tempest of the rack, lips curling into a sly smile. "Say, I wonder what this badass can do."

**A/N: I know that these few chapters have been incredibly short. But bear with me for a bit. Because when the plot-heavy parts come in, expect great big chunks.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey there! We've got subscriber number four! Greetings, Stuch! Welcome! Just a note, this chapter's gonna be somewhat of a longer one. You'll see.**

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Chapter 6: Reality strikes.

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-April 2175-

_Colburn_

The past couple of minutes had been a blur. What was supposed to be lunch with Tantus had somehow managed to turn into a full fledged firefight. Out of nowhere, a band of eight thugs had ran towards the duo, guns ablazing. The pair quickly found cover behind an overturned table. Patrons and staff were all screaming and running in different directions, trying to get out of the crossfire.

Weaponless, they were sitting ducks, pinned behind the table. They had no way of escape. The thugs were all armed with submachine pistols. A bullet dangerously buzzed past the teen's head. "Shit! What now?". Another barrage of rounds embedded themselves in the wall behind him. Peeking out a little, Colburn saw one of the mercs closing in, apparently deciding to just run upfront and pepper them with bullets. He contemplated biotically pulling the merc, but to do so, he would have to go out of cover, which meant exposing himself to seven others.

He glanced over at the Turian beside him. The Spectre was also pinned down by two of the thugs. Colburn heard the merc approaching, closer than ever. "Tantus!". His mentor turned his head, and a look of understanding passed between them. The Turian held up his Omni-tool, mouthing: _whenever you're ready._

Colburn began to mentally countdown.

_One._

He felt the table vibrate, as various bullets lodged themselves in the steel.

_Two._

The footsteps were getting louder.

_Three._

Once again, Colburn felt the familiar rush of biotic energy envelop his body. In less than a second later, he was phasing through the solid steel table.

_And straight at the armed thug. _They crashed against the wall, with his opponent acting as a cushion, bearing the brunt of the impact. As the merc crumpled to the ground, the vanguard wasted no time grabbing the dropped machine pistol.

At the same time, there was a bright blue spark, and then the whole restaurant was temporarily covered in a blanket of darkness. All gunfire stopped, if only for a moment. Whatever Tantus did would only last for a short time. _Act fast._ "Tantus!". The Turian promptly caught the Shuriken tossed his way. Sure enough, the lights flickered on again just as the weapon reached Tantus' hands.

Colburn launched a shockwave towards where most of the other thugs were clustered at. All four of them went sprawling in different corners of the restaurant. Meanwhile, the Turian had already taken out the two mercs who had him pinned just a minute before. The whole area was suddenly silent, a stark contrast to the chaotic scene just moments ago.

"I'll get C-Sec.". The Turian punched several buttons on his Omni-tool.

Colburn looked around. The place was empty now, except for the piles of destroyed furniture, him, Tantus, as well as the seven bodies on the ground. _Hold on. Seven bodies? There's eight of them! _He quickly scanned his eyes throughout the area. _Come on... Where are you?_ A small, slight movement caught his eye. A figure, dressed in cheap, inferior armour, back hunched, on his knees, gun held in front. Colburn's eyes followed the pistol's imaginary line of sight... Right to an unsuspecting Tantus.

The finger was ominously tightening around the trigger. Without another thought, the vanguard launched himself forward again, with the help of his biotics. The both of them rolled on the ground in a heap, each struggling against the other. The gun had clattered elsewhere during the scuffle. The man gave a powerful kick to the biotic's stomach, effectively freeing himself, while Colburn fell onto the floor not too far away on his back, still dazed with the unexpected blow.

The thug unsheathed a wicked-looking blade, a cruel smile playing on his lips, expression saying: I'll have you know what slicing really means. The seventeen year old found himself unable to think straight. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw the forgotten gun, laying on the floor. _And so he did the only thing he thought of._ Utilising his biotics, the pistol flew straight into his hands. Immediately, he fired three shots at his would-be-killer's torso. The man's features were a mixture of horror, surprise, and fear.

The body instantly collapsed onto the ground, and remained motionless. _What... What the hell did I just do?_

"Colburn!". Tantus rushed to his side. "Colburn!"

The teenager stared at him wide-eyed. "I- I killed- killed him...". Colburn felt his whole body trembling. It had been easy firing guns at the range, but a whole other thing was a _living, breathing, _being.

"You have to go before C-Sec gets here!". Tantus had barely glanced at the body. _Doesn't he care? I killed somebody!_ "What are you waiting for? Go! Now!"

He found himself nodding, and getting up and running, as if functioning on its own.

His brain, on the other hand, was still stagnant, trying hard to process everything.

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_Tantus_

"I am very disappointed with C-Sec right now. You people are supposed to protect the citizens of the Citadel! With such inefficiency, you guys are better off being coffin bearers.". Tantus stole a glance at the officer's name tag. _Garrus Vakarian._

"I'm terribly sorry, sir. We were-"

"I don't want any excuses, Officer Vakarian!"

The other Turian suppressed whatever he had originally wanted to say, and instead, muttered a "Yes sir.".

"Good. Clean up this mess, compensate the owner, and thoroughly check how in the spirits' names did these thugs get here, understand?"

"Yes sir. But... What about-"

"I'll take personal charge over the investigation. Anymore questions?"

"No sir."

Tantus gave a grunt of approval. Without another word, he headed towards his skycar, preparing to return back home. _First things first, check on Colburn, _he told himself. The boy had it rough. He'd just had his first kill. It would take a lot of talking to get the child to get over it. He himself was a wreck when he killed his first enemy, but he quickly got out of the guilt trip. Turians showed no mercy to their enemies. It was either killed, or be killed.

The problem was, _Colburn wasn't a Turian._

Tantus sighed.

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_Colburn_

The first thing Colburn did when he reached home was to wash his hands, to rid them of the imaginary blood stains. That however, was an hour ago. He was sitting on his bed, staring at his hands, which were red and raw. His brain was still trying to get over the events.

It had been so easy, watching Tantus take out the two mercs. It didn't involve any emotions, and even felt natural, as if it was _supposed to be that way. _That was, _until he pulled the trigger on someone himself. _

_What did I just do? _He had asked himself that questions countless times.

The dull _thud_ on the carpeted floor told him that Tantus had returned.

"How are you doing?". The Turian made himself comfortable on the nearby couch.

"I- I still can't believe..."

"Son, look at me.". His eyes snapped up to meet the Spectre's. "In this line of work, life is only precious when your loved ones, or you yourself in staring down the barrel of a gun... Think about it. If you hadn't done that, do you think you'll still be sitting here, wondering if what you did was right?".

_He has a point..._ _But... Still... _"Protecting yourself, and killing innocents, are two very different things, Colburn. He was going to kill you, and you did the only thing you could. That's perfectly fine. Imagine if he killed you, and walked away scot-free? The next thing you know, he's killing an entire family, to people who did _absolutely nothing _to him, shooting that helpless little girl, that harmless small boy... _Just because someone paid him too._"

A small fire of anger and hatred grew within him. _The image of the merc slaughtering an entire family, and then receiving a paycheck, smiling... _"I... I think I understand what you're trying to say..."

"Good... It's going to take some time, I know, but you can't take too long. Understand?"

He nodded his head. "So... What now? It's obviously not safe here anymore."

"I know. And I've made arrangements. You're going to Omega."

"Wh- what?", he sputtered. He couldn't believe what he was hearing."

"I have a friend over there. Zaeed Massani. He's a bounty hunter. He'll help train you, expose you to everything this galaxy has to offer. Think of it has a survival course, an opportunity to get real, hands-on experience. In the meantime, it'll also let things on the Citadel cool off for a bit. The last thing we need is C-Sec on your doorsteps. Besides, after this, your father will probably lose any lead he had on you."

"Wow... I...". Colburn was at loss for words. The change was too sudden, abrupt.

"Time to grow up and see the galaxy for what it's worth, kid."

_Yeah, no kidding._

**A/N: See? I told you the plot-heavy, crucial moments were going to be a lot longer! :D Leave a review about what you guys think about the plot as of now!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Woohoo! Member number five has arrived! Hello, DarkStorm00! Hope you guys enjoy this thing so far. This is like, really different, because the whole plot is like, built from stretch, instead of just improvisation on storylines already there. Kindly leave a review? Please?**

**Oh, and I recently started a companion series, called Off The Record. Basically a series of unrelated ficlets. For more information, read the last chapter, chapter 47 of Second In Command. I've made an announcement over there.**

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Chapter 7: Omega, Zaeed Massani, and impending doom.

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-Omega, 2 days later-

_Colburn_

The flight to Omega was fairly uneventful, though the seventeen year old had gained some wary glances from fellow passengers, most of which looked downright murderous. Colburn figured they were probably thinking: _what the hell is this punk doing here?_

_It'll be a great opportunity for hands-on experience, he says. _The teenager rolled his eyes at his internal monologue.

_Well, better catch some sleep. Who knows what crazy shit I'll get into over there?_

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_Zaeed_

The veteran mercenary grunted impatiently, tapping his feet against the floor nonstop as he waited at the 'Arrivals' section of the spaceport. _God damn bloody bollocks... Where is that lad?_

As if right on cue, a brown-haired, blue-eyed teenager appeared, duffel bag in hand. The kid walked over. "You uh, Zaeed?"

"You see any other guy with half his face blown off?"

Zaeed merely smirked when he heard the boy mutter "_Wise ass..._"

"Come on, kid. Let's get you settled down. Follow me.". They started walking towards the merc's skycar. "Ya know, kid, you look better than I expected. Taller, too. I was expecting a scrawny five feet midget."

"_One,_ I am _not_ scrawny. I pack quite the punch. _Two,_ I'm five feet eleven. _Three,_ I'm _seventeen._ Don't call me _kid._"

"Whatever floats your boat...". The skycar's door opened. "Kid..."

"_Bastard..._", the young lad muttered.

"I heard that.". Colburn mumbled yet another curse. "You drive kiddo."

"_A,_ I repeat again. I am _not_ _pleased_ with you calling me _kiddo._ _B, _I don't have a licence."

"I thought Tantus taught you how to fly these things?"

"He did, and I'm bloody good at it. Thing is, I'm too young to get an official licence."

"Here's a tip, lad. This is _Omega,_ not the squeaky clean God damn Citadel. There are no rules. You do whatever the hell you want to. Also,", he added. "I call you what I like, _kid_.". His companion must've reached the conclusion that saying anything else would just be in vain, as he didn't reply, but still took the driver's seat. "You'll get the directions on that monitor. Just follow the directions."

They sat in silence for a couple of minutes, before Colburn broke the silence again. "So, where exactly are we going after we put down my stuff?"

"Put a bullet in peoples' heads, that's what.". The teenager stared at him, blank-faced. "Don't worry, they all deserve it."

**A/N: It's 12.40am now. Gotta sleep... It's gonna be another plot-heavy chapter later on, so stay tuned!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: So recently, there's been a lot of Amanda Bieber stuff going on. All I can say, is, well, she has absolutely no common sense at all. Zero. Zilch. End of story. I mean, really? Singapore is in Europe? That Canada is not a country, and Canadians are in fact French, and France, in return, is a Muslim/Islamic nation? Wow. And she even said that people who believe in Jesus are stupid (I myself am an atheist, but I don't think this way.) and that people on Earth should believe in Justin Bieber because he donates money to charity while He does nothing at all.**

**Seriously? I'm anti-Bieber all the way, but even I feel sorry for him. To have such a fan... His reputation must be severely ruined by now. No offense, but I feel bad for Americans right now. In fact, I feel ashamed just living on the same planet as Amanda Bieber.**

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Chapter 8: The fun begins.

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_Colburn_

It had been two weeks of chasing weasels, duct rats, at every other imaginable place on the giant rock that was named Omega, but they got the job done anyway. In fact, Colburn was starting to feel numb at the part where they put a bullet through the heads of those scumbags, which worried him. Tantus and Zaeed, on the other hand, had assured him that he was doing nothing wrong, and he should get over it as soon as possible. But of course, it didn't make the whole thing any less creepy. Though he was kind of glad that the guilt was fading.

Zaeed's apartment was less than stellar, a complete contrast to the admittedly luxurious one on the Citadel. It was small, dark, and a little gritty, but Colburn had a hunch it was tenfold better than most of the others on Omega.

The merc-in-training eyed the veteran sitting opposite him in the living room. "So... What did you want to tell me?"

"First things first, boy.". Zaeed got up and walked to the fridge not too far away. "Wanna beer?"

"Sure."

He cracked open two bottles and passed one to the biotic, afterwards taking a long draw out of his own. "Ah... Good 'ole beer..."

Colburn was getting a little irritated. "_Now,_ can you tell me what's going on?"

"Relax kid... I'm gettin' to it.". Colburn bit his tongue at the last term. It seemed as if the old man was intent on calling him that. After two days, the teenager had given up on arguing. "I just received this contract. You're coming with me."

"_Dude,_ I've _always_ been coming with you for the past fortnight.". Colburn took a sip of his beer. "What did this guy do?"

"Eh, you know... Turian businessman. Burned down a competitor's warehouse. Now, the same bloody Volus hired us to take him out. Hell, the guy paid us five grand up front. And another ten grand after we do the job."

"Damn, he's pretty generous."

"And that's what I say separates us hardened gunslingers from you greenhorns. We're actually gettin' ripped. He's getting hundreds of thousands when the Turian dies. What's fifteen grand to him?". _Smart ass... _"Anyway, we get paid, we provide the service."

"Well then,", he concluded. "guess this Turian's got karma coming to him."

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_Zaeed_

The whole thing was going well so far. With the aid of contacts, along with a few credits, the duo had managed to learn the whereabouts of the target. They had stormed into the place right from the front door, and -quite effortlessly- cleared the whole area in just a few minutes. The mercenary had expected things to go slightly harder, but Colburn's biotics had made everything much easier.

_Well, turns out Tantus was right. Kid's got talent. _They were currently moving towards the Turian's office, where they would finally be able to finish the job.

"Ready?", Colburn whispered. The mercenary gave him a firm nod of the head. The teenager counted down with his fingers.

_Three._

_Two._

_One._

There was a loud crash as the sealed door was blasted open by a burst of raw biotic power. Letting his instincts take over, taking out their target's bodyguards in a seamless series of movement. _Aim, fire, repeat_. Four bodies crumpled to the ground, head bloody. Meanwhile, his unofficial protege had biotically charged the man himself, now holding him by the throat.

"Pl-please. D-don't kill me. I'll give you anything you want! I'll pay you double!". Another wave of panic surfaced on their captive's face as he saw their the emotionless expressions. "I'll pay you triple! Four-"

"Save it, mister. You should've seen it coming when you burned down that Volus' warehouse."

Unexpectedly, all fear disappeared from the Turian's face, and in its place, the unmistakable surge of rage and anger. "So this is what it's about!", he growled, now totally ignoring the pistol shoved against his temple. "Then, did that bloody Volus tell you how he hired assholes to blow my son's knees? He was _innocent._ _And now he's paralysed_."

Colburn seemed to falter at the words. "Wh-what..?"

"That's right, kid. You heard me. And you say I should've seen karma coming? What about him?"

The teenager's grip loosened, gun dropping from his other hand. _That kid's gonna mess up everything. Gotta act. _Without warning, Zaeed raised his own pistol in a smooth, fluid motion, and pulled the trigger without any hesitation. A spray of blue liquid splattered onto Colburn's armour, as well as the floor.

"What the fuck did you do?". Colburn grabbed the older man by the collar of his armour, clearly enraged.

Zaeed shoved him back. "Hey! I said it before: _we get paid, we provide the service._"

"You heard him! It's the Volus! Not him!"

"So what, mate? Like it or not, it's the rules of the trade. You don't get a choice, and you don't go after your client when they pay you."

"_Fine_.". Colburn stormed towards the entrance. "Do it _your_ way. I want nothing to do with it."

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_Zaeed_

"I think you're gonna have your hands full, Tantus. The boy's head still full of sunshine and bunnies. He's not gonna survive for a minute on his own out here."

"I know. But at least he's making progress. He'll get over it soon enough. He has to."

"Well, mate, you better hope you're right. He's holed himself up in the room for a couple of hours now."

"I'll go talk to him... But try to cut him some slack, Zaeed. The boy has been through quite a lot."

"I make no promises, my friend..."

**A/N: Alright, my flight for Bali is about ten hours later. There most probably won't be any internet connection at my hotel, so yeah. But, I will be back around Saturday night PST, Sunday 00:00 latest. Once I reach home, the first thing I'll do is upload chapters 9, and possibly 10 as well.**

**So, until then, have a great weekend, my dear readers.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Well, I promised to write you guys a chapter, so here I am. I'm at the Bali airport right now, waiting to board. I haven't had internet access for three days straight now... Wonder what's in my email inbox...**

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Chapter 9: A new friend.

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-July 2175-

_Colburn_

The Citadel was a welcoming sight. The bright sunlight of the Presidium, although artificial, was still warm and sunny. It felt good to be back at what he had considered home, as compared to the gritty, dark, filthy dark alleys of Omega.

The past few months with Zaeed the 'grumpy old man' - a term Colburn had coined for his human mentor - had been fairly uneventful - _if you took away all the shooting, killing and maiming._

His stint had been cut short when Tantus had suddenly called for him to return to the Citadel. When Colburn had asked what it was about, the Turian had only replied with a simple "You'll see.".

Expecting the apartment to be empty, the teen was expectedly caught off guard when he saw a girl who looked about his own age - clad in a bathrobe no less - walking about, mug in hand. His first instinct was to reach for his pistol, but he suppressed it. Instead, he asked: "Umm, you are...?". She was harmless, _or at least appeared to be. No point getting the gun out_, he thought to himself.

Her eyes widened at the sudden 'intruder'. "Oh! Uh... You- you must be Colburn! Tantus is out getting some stuff. Told me you'd be coming..."

_Okay..._ "Uh, yeah sure. Make yourself at home... I've... Got stuff to do.". He made a beeline for his bedroom and locked the door behind him. _Relax... There's just an unknown girl in a bathrobe sipping a hot drink in your living room_. "_Damn you, Tantus.._."

Colburn tried to unpack his belongings as slow as possible, if to avoid the stranger sitting just outside. After what seemed to be the shortest one hour, the inevitable moment finally arrived. _Deep breath..._ After composing himself, he stepped out of his room and headed to the living room, where the girl was still at, quietly sipping from the mug cupped in both her hands. _Maybe she's a test from Tantus. _"So...". He made himself comfortable on the couch opposite from hers. "What's your name?"

"Ca- Catherine... Catherine Olsen...". The girl was stuttering nervously. "What's yours?"

"I thought Tantus already told you mine?"

"He only said you were Colburn. He never said your full name."

_Well then... _ "Miles."

"Wh- what?"

"You wanted my name, right? That's it. _'Miles'_."

"Oh, alright... So your name is Colburn Miles?"

"No no no... It's Miles Colburn."

"You- you don't like your first name?"

"I uh, guess so..."

Colburn took the accompanying silence to study the fellow human. She had long black hair, and equally dark eyes. The slight, wavy curls in her straight hair told him that they were frequently tied up in a bun. Her slender figure hinted of regular physical training.

Just then, Tantus' timely arrival had managed to save the both of them from the horribly awkward conversation. "Ah, welcome back, Colburn. Glad to see you chatting with our new friend over here.". _New friend? What? _"I've gotten you what you need, Catherine. Go get changed.". Tantus stretched a duffel bag to the girl.

A surge of relief surfaced on Catherine's pretty features. "Thanks Tantus...". She headed straight for the vacant guest room.

"Who is she?"

"Didn't you two introduce yourselves to each other already?"

"No, I mean: _who is she?_ You could've told me there was going to be someone else! I had a good mind to just point my pistol at her!", Colburn reprimanded in a harsh whisper.

"Well, the most important thing is that you didn't.", Tantus replied nonchalantly.

"Can you answer my question, damn it?"

"Relax, son. She was part of BAat. You know what that is, right?"

"Uh, yeah. You told me. Why?"

"The whole project has recently been disbanded. Most of the students have returned to their families."

"Let me guess: she's not one of the 'most of them'."

"Correct. She was an orphan. Grew up in the slums of Earth after both her parents died in a traffic accident. Had no known relatives. Someone from the Alliance had found her. Turned out she also possessed biotic potential, so she was sent to BAat. You should be able to figure out the rest."

"Wow... That's... A little hard to digest right now..."

"Indeed..."

"But isn't BAat an Alliance programme? What's a Spectre doing over there?"

"Well, a few days ago, there was scuffle between a Turian instructor and one of the students. The instructor died. They launched a full investigation. As the liaison Spectre between the Alliance and the Citadel Council, I was in charge of it. Lots of nasty truths came out... And so the whole thing was cancelled. I noticed her case, and decided to take her in."

"So, what? You just take people in like that?"

"The same thing happened to you, didn't it? The Alliance requested help from the Council, and so they sent me to investigate your father. Look where we are now?"

"I suppose so... Are you going to train her?"

"Of course."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Tantus..."

"Why?"

"Just let her live a civilian life... Get her through college. She can get a job, get married, have kids or something."

"I trained you too, didn't I?"

"That's not the same... I had assassins after me. I didn't have a choice. She's different. She-". The sound of porcelain smashing into smithereens interrupted the teen. Both human and Turian and turned around to see a red-faced Catherine standing awkwardly. _Oh crap._

"I- I'm sorry. I should go.". She ran out of the apartment before finishing her sentence.

_Oh boy._ Colburn got to his feet and chased after what would be his potential new partner in crime.

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_Catherine_

"Hey, hey! Wait up!". Involuntarily, her feet stopped moving at the words coming from behind her. "Jesus... You-". Colburn, who had just caught up to her, stopped speaking when he saw the endless streams of tears rolling down her cheeks. "Oh boy...", she heard him mutter.

Without thinking, she leaned forward and hugged him, burying her head into the crook of his neck, sobbing uncontrollably. Rather hesitantly, his hands wrapped around her. "It's okay...", he soothed.

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_Catherine_

A few hours later, the both of them were seated a small little restaurant that catered to all races. Two cups of coffee were resting on their table. Catherine's eyes were still red and puffy. The surrounding noise did nothing to mask the uncomfort between the both of them, but Colburn appeared to be relatively more at ease than her.

"So, uh, Catherine... How old are you?"

"Turning sixteen this year... And you can call me Cath... Everyone does."

"Okay... Cath it is... You can call me Cole too. I'm seventeen this year...". She gave a small nod in acknowledgment.

"Why did you come after me? You should've let me leave. I'm a burden."

"Hey, uh, I didn't mean it that way. I just thought it would be better for you to just go somewhere and study, you know... Live a normal life."

"Cole... I want to train. I want to learn. I'd been at for seven years. Seven whole years, and did nothing but train, train, and train. I want to cash in on it. I don't want everything to go to waste."

"Cath, listen to me... Being a merc isn't as fancy as you think. I didn't choose the life I have now. I was forced into it. It was train or die. Killing people... It's easy scoring headshots at the range, or ripping dummies apart during simulations. But it's a totally different thing when you're target's a living, breathing being... A few months ago, right here, at this spot, I killed my first man. I didn't want to. He tried to kill me, so I defended myself. But the truth remains: my hands are stained with his blood. No matter the reasons, it's an undeniable fact. And I'll have to live with it for the rest of my life, till the day I die. You can't just forget that...". Catherine could see the earnest hope - that she would change her mind - in his eyes.

"The circumstances forced me, Cath. You're different. You can just pretend all of this didn't happen and walk away."

His words would have convinced her, but her mind was made up long ago. "I- I understand what you're trying to say, Cole. But I know what I want. _This._ Really."

He let out a crestfallen sigh. "Okay... I guess nothing I say can make you change your mind.". He stretched a hand from across the table.

"Welcome aboard."

**A/N: An unexpected twist, isn't it? :P And I'm reaching Singapore soon... Home! Yay!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: So, I've recently been down with throat inflammation, and I can't exactly speak coherently right now. Literally. **

**That's why I didn't post anything yesterday. I just plopped on the bed and fell asleep... In order to make sure that I don't die from 'bottling up my emotions' (to say that I'm a very expressive person is actually an understatement. I just like to talk, okay?), I'm trying to forget the guilt of owing my teacher this essay which I promised to hand in today, and instead, type this thing out. (Boys and girls, I'm a very bad example. Don't follow!). **

**And that's why Danny Williams/Scott Caan is my idol. I worship him. Speaking of which, I seem to take a liking to people with the last name 'Williams'. (The kickass Ashley, anyone?)**

**That said, this chapter's going to contain fluff, I think... We'll see... And possibly very short too...**

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Chapter 10: Of pizza, soda, and heart-to-heart.

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-October, 2175, Citadel-

_Colburn_

Dinner was most certainly a welcome sight. The ravenous biotics had been suppressing their hunger for the past, hellish one hour. The day's training session had been mainly focussed on the honing of the manipulation of their biotic abilities. It had felt like eternity before the delivery man had arrived at their doorstep.

"Jesus, that looks like _heaven_."

"Yeah, no shit."

Without another word, Colburn hurriedly placed the box of piping hot pizza on the dining table, while Catherine went to kitchen to get the drinks. Tantus had been away for the previous couple of days on some Spectre business, and would not return until a week later, leaving the two teenagers to themselves.

They sat in silence for the next few minutes, doing nothing but wolf down the divine combination of cheese, dough, and tomato, otherwise known as 'pizza'. Finally content that his stomach's needs have been satisfied, Colburn took a gratifying sip of soda.

"Oh damn. That was good."

"You bet your ass that was.", came the only reply from his partner.

"Oh man... I think I'm gonna get indigestion tonight... But it's going to be worth it."

"Yeah... Better watch that tummy of yours... You're getting soft...", Catherine teased. She lightly patted his stomach to prove her point.

He smacked her hand away. "Hey! What are you talking about! Am not!"

"You-". She was interrupted as a sudden loud burp escaped her lips. Colburn smirked in response. _Who needs to watch her mouth now? _"Oh, shut up!"

"What?". He raised his hands in mock innocence. "I didn't say anything!"

"Idiot...", she muttered.

"I heard that."

She glared at him. He shrugged his shoulders as a reply. The both of them sat in silence afterwards, alternating between sipping from their cans and staring into thin air.

"Okay, just... Just stop. I can't take the silence anymore."

"Then what do you wanna do? We're obviously too full to train."

Catherine rolled her eyes at her companion. "Seriously, is there nothing you can think of except that? You know what? Don't answer that."

"Whatever floats your boat...". Then, he added, "So, _Miss Genius,_ what do _you_ want to do?"

"Let me think... Maybe we can play tetris?"

He looked at her incredulously. "Wow. Really? That's your great plan?"

"At least it's better than _training_."

"True...", he admitted.

"Actually, I've got another idea... But the thing is, are you too chicken to play?"

"Chicken? Who? You?". He gave her his trademark devilish grin.

"Alright then, you're on."

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_Catherine_

The next few hours had been a blur. 'Truth or Dare' had been a great method to kill time, especially when it required Colburn to kiss the wall.

For the umpteenth time, she spun the bottle again. This time, it pointed to herself. _Uh oh. Cole's gonna make me pay_. "Truth or dare?", he challenged.

"Truth.". _No way in Hell I'm doing 'dare'._

"Okay... I'll be merciful and give you a simple one. When was your happiest moment?"

The question, though seemingly simple and innocent, had undoubtedly brought a sudden surge of emotions. "I- I...", she stammered. _I can't do this. _"I'm tired. Um, gonna go to bed...". She stood up to run back to her room, but he caught her by the arm.

"Woah, not so fast. Did I say something wrong?", he asked, voice full of concern. All traces of the teasing and joking it held just a few minutes ago had vanished.

"I just...". She choked up.

"Relax... Sit down...". She fell back into her seat. "Now tell me what's wrong. I'm not gonna tell Tantus, I promise. Cross my heart and hope to die.", he vowed.

"It was- it was daddy's birthday... I was six. We were at Central Park..."

"You're from New York?". She nodded her head. "What happened?"

"Playing... Running... For hours... It was getting dark. Mummy said we were going to the new steakhouse for dinner... It was supposed to be fun! We were perfect! I was happy!"

"But..."

"But... This car... Mummy and daddy were holding my hand... Then he pushed me away and- and hugged mummy...". She found herself bursting into tears. And then Colburn was holding her. She melted into his arms. What she had tried to bury under the sands of time had finally been exposed to the light of day again.

She cried harder.

He held her tighter.

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_Colburn_

"She's back in bed now... Damn it. I shouldn't have asked her that, should I?"

"Maybe it's good that you did... Such trauma, if left unchecked and buried, could leave psychological scars."

"So, what? I just saved her from potential insanity and from being a possible psychopath?"

"You can say that."

"Gee."

"What about you, Colburn?"

"Tantus..."

"You seem awfully concerned about her wellbeing."

"Don't get any ideas, big man. She's just like that sister I never had. I always wished for one, but since... You know..."

"Yes, you lost your mother too when you were eight, as I recall."

"Yeah... _That. _She was schizophrenic. Jumped down the freaking building."

"Colburn..."

"Point is, I know how it feels like to lose your parents. And it's not easy to get over. I don't think I would've gotten over it if I didn't have counselling. And that's exactly what Cath needs right now."

"Very well. I can arrange for-"

"_Hell no. _I promised her I wouldn't tell you. If you do anything, she'll know I didn't keep it. And boom goes her trust in me."

"Point taken. Let me know if anything else happens. Let's hope she'll recover from it all with your help."

"Amen to that."

**A/N**: **Leave a review? Please? Hadn't had any in a long while now...**


	11. Chapter 11

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Chapter 11: Drugs, credits, and brainless people.

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-March 2176, Illium-

_Colburn_

"Okay, remind me again: why are we helping you on your Spectre business?"

Tantus sighed. "Well, as I've said before, there's been reported sightings of Hallex transactions going down over here. You two are here to help me botch a deal, and if possible, get the man behind the scenes."

"Right... That still doesn't explain why you need us."

"Because, the thing is going down at The Malibu, a local human nightclub, popular with the rich and young."

"Rich, young, _and dumb,_ you mean?", Catherine interjected.

"Well, that sounds like an undercover mission to me.", Colburn said.

"Yes, you two are going in as kids looking forward to having a good time.". He handed them a dossier each. "These would be your temporary identities."

Catherine let out a low whistle. "Wow. My dad's head of Webster's Corporation? Sweet.". Then her eyes widened as she read on. "Woah, hold on a sec! I have to dye my hair red? Aww come on! There's no way I'm going to be a red head! Hell no!"

Colburn silently smirked. _Better luck next time, Cath..._

He took a look at his own dossier.

_Name: Scott Bowman._

_Age: 19_

_Background: Son of Neil Bowman, head of Bowman Weapons Manufacturing._

_That's not too bad, _he thought to himself.

He scrolled through the rest of the information. All was fine and well, _until..._

"Are you freaking kidding me? Scott Bowman's a blonde? Really?"

Catherine burst out laughing. "Oh. My. God. You're going blonde? That's crappier than mine! And your name's Scott? Jesus! Scottie the Blondie!". Her volume doubled.

Colburn stared at Tantus, mouth agape. "There's no way in Hell-"

"You were lucky. Zaeed wanted me to give you neon green hair.", the Turian replied, voice smug. "But I figured blonde would be better.". His mandibles flared in amusement at the last statement.

"You're impossible..."

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_Catherine_

The colour had suited her better than expected. Catherine's hair, now a fiery red, travelled in curls down to her back. Dressed in a black, bareback dress, she absolutely fitted the bill of the classic 'clubbing slut'.

A whistle came from behind her. She spun around to find Colburn -blonde- in a rather smart black suit. "Well well, what have we got here... I have to say, you look...". He trailed off.

"Like a whore who sleeps with every man in sight, right? I know..."

"Actually, I was going to say that you looked kinda hot, but since you said that, no point arguing."

"Well,", she teased. "you're not too shabby yourself, _Scottie._..". He glared at her, but she ignored it. "_Blondie..._", she added.

"Ass."

"Get in the cars, kids. Save the insults for later.", came Tantus' voice through their earpieces. Without another word, they both got into their respective multi-million-credit skycars. "Alright, I'll go through it again. You two don't know each other. Just go about your separate ways. Unless necessary, don't make contact. Don't fish for the boss immediately. Take your time to get the small fry. Catherine, you'll head there first. Colburn, you hang about for a couple more minutes before arriving. Is that clear?"

"Crystal.", they said in unison.

"You're not packing weapons this time, so stay sharp. Your biotics and Omni-blades are the only things you've got. Watch each other's six, got it?"

"Yep."

"Oh, don't worry about it, Tantus. If anything happens, you'd be damn sure I've got Cole's back. My tech skills should be able to get the place's power out for a minute."

"You're not the only one...", he muttered over the comm.

"Yeah, because you're _such a tech expert._", she retorted sarcastically. "Last month, during tech training, you were supposed to overwrite the _security system_, not spark off the freaking _kitchen stove!_ You almost burnt down the whole damn place!"

"Hey! It was a one-time accident!"

"_Right._ What about the one last December? You were supposed to disable the intruder alarm, not set it off! It was supposed to be a quiet mission! Sneak in, kill the guy and leave! In the end, we had to kill every single one of his bodyguards! It was a bloody mess!"

"Okay, fine! Maybe I'm not a tech person, but-"

"Not _maybe._ It's _definitely._"

"That's quite enough, you two!". Both teenagers shut up at the loud rumble of their mentor's voice. "But I have to agree. Colburn's tech skills are far from acceptable..."

"Damn it..."

"I heard that.". She giggled. It was a comeback long overdue ever since their fateful 'pizza' banter. As The Malibu got closer and closer in sight, she managed to calm herself down.

"Approaching destination in five...", she announced.

**A/N: I swear, I'm not copying iBayne's Galaxy at War: N7. I've actually been meaning to do this undercover thing since a long time ago. And by a long time ago, I mean since I was still writing Second In Command... You have no idea how happy I was when I finally managed to get Cath into the picture. I'd been waiting for a long while...**


	12. Chapter 12

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Chapter 12: Seduction and deception.

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_Catherine_

As soon as her skycar landed, Catherine could feel the strong vibrations from the loud music coming from within the nightclub. As the the car's door opened, the vibrations turned into deafening noise pollution. _Christ, these people have no taste._

As she approached the entrance, the young woman saw a large of humans -all around her age- clad in designer clothing no less, crowding at the entrance. "Damn, what's taking them so long to get in?", she asked aloud to no one in particular.

"Oh, that?". A young brunette beside her replied. She pointed at the entrance. "That's the security checking for weapons or something. It's pretty tight around here.". _Guess they don't want any heat. _"You're a first timer?"

"Uh, yeah... Name's Dorothy Webster. People call me Dora. Nice to meet you."

The other young lady over-enthusiastically shook her hand. "Oh em gee! Nice to meet you too! I'm Lauren Wallace!", she shrieked girlishly. _She looks high already. And she hasn't even entered yet._

"Next!", came a gruff voice. It was Catherine's turn to go through the detector. She passed through without any accident. "Haven't seen you here before, miss. Someone introduced you to this place?", the bouncer questioned.

_A background check? Since when did nightclubs do that? Something fishy is definitely going on here._ Before Catherine could think of an answer, her newfound acquaintance suddenly hugged her from behind.

"Oh, Doug, don't worry! She's with me!". Lauren Wallace laughed to herself again.

_Thank God. _Catherine leaned back against her unintentional 'saviour'. In her best imitation of Wallace, she exclaimed, "Yeah!"

Satisfied, 'Doug' let them pass without further questions. "Go on."

As soon as they entered the interior of the club, and out of earshot, the biotic gave a puzzled look at her 'friend'. "Wow. You're on a first name basis with Grumpy The Bouncer?"

"Oh well...", Wallace responded with what was obviously mock shyness. "We... Spent a couple of nights together...". _What the hell?_ "I couldn't resist... I mean, would you look at _those abs? _Plus, he-"

"Hey! Look! I think I see that cute blonde over there!", Catherine interrupted, pointing to a random direction.

"OH. MY. GOD! WHERE? I ABSOLUTELY LOVE BLONDES!". And so, her companion ran off, shrieking and screaming for the nonexistent male. _Sweet Jesus._ She secretly prayed that Lauren Wallace wouldn't be able to find Colburn later on.

Immediately, Catherine headed to the dance floor. Dancing was a good way to melt into the crowd, while being able to keep an eye on the whole place without arousing suspicion. Her eyes scanned the surroundings for potential targets as her body swayed to the techno music blasting throughout The Malibu.

"Nice moves.", came Colburn's unexpected voice from her earpiece.

Her eyes shot up in surprise, but she didn't stop dancing. "How'd you get in here?"

"You left your comm on."

"Oh.". Her eyes searched around. "Where are you?"

"Turn around. Eight o'clock.". Sure enough, Catherine saw her partner seated at the bar, glass of mojito in hand.

"Drinking on the job eh? Since when'd you turn Irish?"

"It's all about natural acting, sweetheart. You've got a lot more to learn."

"Yeah yeah...". Just then, a small movement caught her eye. "Hey Cole, check that man near the bathroom."

"The guy in white?"

"Yeah.". Catherine's eyes clung onto the man like an eagle targeting its prey, scrutinising every single movement. True enough, the man secretly passed what looked like a bottle of Hallex to a teenager. "You see that?"

"Hell, yes I did."

"Now what?"

"You've found your fish. Now get him on the hook."

"But how?". There was no reply. "Cole?". She hurriedly turned in the direction of her partner, only to find him chatting with another one of those Miss Sleeps-with-anyone.

"He's got his hands full. I'll guide you.", came Tantus' voice. He had been so silent during the entire thing, Catherine had forgotten he was listening to every bit of their conversation.

"Well, here goes..."

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_Colburn_

_Meanwhile..._

The guest had certainly been unexpected, but not entirely unwelcome. _Wrong fish is better than no fish,_ he thought to himself. Colburn had switched off his comm as soon as he heard the clicking of heels behind him.

Before he knew it, a rather good looking young woman sat on the stool beside him. "Would you be so kind as to buy me a drink, handsome?"

Playing along, he flashed a charming smile at her. "For a gorgeous lady like you, anytime of the day.". He signalled the bartender. "What will it be?"

"Scotch, straight up."

"My tab.", he added. The bartender gave a slight nod and disappeared as fast as he came. "Scotch huh? Girls usually hate liquor."

"Well, I'll have you know I'm not just any girl.". She paused for awhile as the bartender returned with her order. "My name is Cassandra Gordon. Nice to meet you. We don't see a lot of gentlemen around here these days.", she said, voice husky, as she stretched out a hand.

He shook it, hand intentionally lingering longer than usual. "I'm Scott Bowman. And thank you, for the compliment. Though I agree, not many men know how to treat a lady as elegant as yourself the right way."

"Oh?". She raised her glass, thigh lightly brushing against his as she did so. "A toast to our first consensus?"

"Cheers.". He softly clinked his drink against hers and they both took a small sip.

"So...", she purred. "I was wondering if you have plans for later. If you don't, well...". Her finger traced circles up and down his thigh, touch feather-light.

He leaned in to whisper into her ear, voice an octave lower, intentionally accented with faux lust. He closed in until his lips barely touched her. "You know of anything to... _spice up the heat?_ "

"Oh you have no idea...". Mimicking him, she leaned in to his ear as well. Her hot breath made his skin tingle slightly. "_Follow me..._"

_Now we're back in business._


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: The extended cut was so much nicer, I don't see a reason why they should've left it out in the final copy and caused all the trouble. The Ashley farewell at the beam was awesome... **

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Chapter 13: Busted.

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_Catherine_

**(This takes place at the same time Colburn was talking to Cassandra Gordon.)**

Tantus' instructions had been simple enough. _Just bump into the him, act like a total slut, and wait for Mr White to buy you a drink. No pressure._

After what seemed to be a pretty convincing act of _'Oh em gee, sorry, handsome.'_, she walked over to the other end of the bar and took a seat. _Just wait for him to bite the bait..._

"Hey there. Can I get you a drink?". Catherine turned around, expecting the man in white, only that it wasn't him. Instead, it was a relatively dashing young man, who looked about a few years older. _Now that's a cute guy._

Before she could quite gladly say 'yes please', Tantus cut in. "He's not your guy. Shake him."

_Well that's a bummer._ "Really? But he's cute!", she complained out loud, without a regard for the hunk's puzzled look. She pouted her lips in mock disappointment.

"Erm...", he asked nervously. "Who are you talking to?"

She gave him a drunk giggle. "Oh, _that?_ I was just talking to the voices in my head. You know, they're actually perfectly normal. I hear them every single night! They're like my BFFs!". She followed the 'confession' with a sharp shriek.

The suave young man took a few steps back. "When they said reds were crazy, I thought they only meant in bed...", she heard him mutter to himself. _Well, bad luck for you buddy..._ "H- hey, I forgot I've got something on tonight... Uh, see you around!", he blurted before running off.

"Well done. You're surprisingly good at this."

"Thanks, Tantus. But...". She looked in the direction of her intended target. "I don't think he's noticed me."

"Colburn's on a lead...". She looked over at the vanguard, who was talking rather... _suggestively,_ with his new friend.

"God, I think I'm gonna vomit."

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_Colburn_

"So, you guys looking for a good time huh?"

Colburn decided to let his companion do the talking. "Yeah... You know, to spice up the stuff..."

"Alright, follow me.". The man led them around the nightclub's more secluded areas, which were probably unknown to the ordinary visitors. It was dangerously quiet, a stark contrast to the chaos -and safety- where most of the party-goers were.

"Come on in.", he ushered them into what Colburn assumed was his 'office'. "How much Hallex do you need?"

"How much do you charge?", Colburn asked.

"Five hundred credits for fifteen in a bottle.."

_That's hell of a rip off... _"Okay. A bottle it is."

"I'm gonna go get your stuff. Keep your hands to yourselves kids.". With the close of the door, they were left to themselves in the whole office.

_Really? He just leaves random people in his office? Whatever, no time to lose._

"Cassandra, keep an eye on that door.", he ordered as he made a dash for the computer. "Tantus, he's got the computer locked. Little help?"

In less than a second later, Tantus replied, "Done."

His eyes scanned the monitor. _Files... Accounts? Nah, not my business. _He looked deeper into the archives_. Shipping schedules... Bingo!_ "Tantus, uploading to you now.". He heard footsteps behind him, but he was too caught up to care. _Come on... Fifty percent..._

An all too familiar _click_ caused him to spin around, and Colburn promptly found a pistol pointed his way. "I knew there was something up your sleeve...". _Damn it. I knew it was too good to be true._ "I've got him... Come back...", she seemingly spoke to thin air. _Guess she's got a comm too. _Then, she turned to him. "There's no way Illium police could've known. Who are you? Spit it!"

He tossed a sidelong glance at the screen. _Eighty percent. Just keep her talking... _"I'm on Spectre busi-". He stopped short as a bullet made its way from Cassandra Gordon's pistol... And lodged itself right into the computer. "Damn it!"

"Don't worry. I've got the data.", Tantus assured him.

_At least that's settled._ Before he knew it, Gordon pulled the trigger again, and a searing hot sensation spread through his body from his left shoulder. Instinctively, he biotically slammed the girl into the wall, rendering her unconscious. The door blasted open just as Colburn bent down to pick up the fallen weapon.

He found cover just as three men entered, guns ablazing, peppering everything in sight with bullets. The burning sensation emanating from his left shoulder intensified. _Incendiary round..._

_Man, tonight just keeps getting better and better..._

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_Catherine_

_Meanwhile..._

True to Tantus' words, the man in white had approached her just shortly after Colburn had left with his 'lead'.

"May I interest you with a drink?". _Man, can't they ever find a different pickup line?_

"Sure...". She forced herself to let out another revolting giggle. "Martini please..."

He repeated the order the bartender before turning his attention back to her. "Nice to meet you. I'm Kevin Greene."

She lightly shook his hand. "Dora Webster."

The bartender arrived with her cocktail before making himself scarce again. She twirled the glass, eyes boring into the colourless liquid. She pretended not to notice him, instead concentrating on her martini. _Maybe playing hard to get isn't that hard after all... _She could see that he was intent on continuing their conversation. "Consider this my apology for our... _accident_, just now.". _Christ. Can this ever get more corny?_

"Oh, it was like, so totally _my_ fault.". She kept her sentence short.

"You're getting him hooked. Good job. Keep going.", Tantus remarked.

Greene looked like he was about to say something when his Omni-tool chirped. "Excuse me. I have a call...". She eyed him cautiously as he spoke to the other person on the line. "Yeah, I got it... I know what to do..."

She hurriedly turned back to her drink as he cut the call. She pretended to sip her martini. There was no way she was going to drink it for real. She was a devout 'zero alcohol' person, and was determined to remain so for the rest of her life, which might not be very long if she slipped up.

Just then, Tantus' agitated voice buzzed through her earpiece. "Colburn's been uncovered. He's in trouble! Sending the Navpoint to your Omni-tool!".

"I'm sorry, where were we?", Greene said as he returned to his seat.

She scrambled for whatever excuse she could think of. "I need to head for the bathroom. Excuse me...". She stood up to leave, but he pushed her back down. "What are you-"

"Stay.", he commanded, the charisma no longer present. It was then that Catherine noticed the pistol he gripped, partially hidden inside his jacket. There was no way she could get away without people thinking that _she_ was the threat. It would just appear that they were two friends having a friendly chat, until the insane red head killed her companion for no reason. "Don't even think about it..."

_Now what?_

**A/N: Leave a review!**


	14. Chapter 14

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Chapter 14: Busted, part 2.

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_Catherine_

_Fuck it._

In a single, fluid motion, Catherine tackled Greene off the seat and onto the cold, solid floor. Taking off the damned heels that she hated so much, and connected them with both sides of his head. She heard a soft yet audible _crack,_ and the man immediately went limp. _Should've let me go, buddy..._

And out of nowhere...

"Hey! There she is! She's got Blake! Get her!". A group of perhaps, five thugs, which included 'Doug' were running towards her, hands buried inside their jackets. _Time to go! _Hand reaching for the gun that was pointed her way earlier, Catherine scrambled to her feet and ran. A barrage of rounds flew past her, a particular one shattering the beer bottle on the table that she just ran past. She launched a biotic shockwave behind her, sending her pursuers scrambling in different directions. _Damn it, they're getting up._

She brought up her Omni-tool and swiftly overloaded the nightclub's power grid, causing the whole place to be momentarily covered under a blanket of darkness. Screams, shrieks, and 'What the hell's going on!' filled the air, coupled with 'Hey, don't push me!'s. She smiled to herself. That should throw 'em of my feet.

Using her Omni-tool's torchlight, she blindly made her way to Colburn's location, but the yelling and gunshots told her she was on the right track. Catherine could see an office, its doors left open, and made a run for it. _Bam! Bam!_ The ringing echo of two gunshots filled the air, and then, _nothing._

_Cole..._ Gathering a concentrated amount of biotic energy in her fists, she charged into the room, prepared to hurl them at a moment's notice. But, thankfully, all she saw was a panting Colburn. The orbs of purple energy faded. "Aww, man...", he exclaimed in between short, harsh breaths. "I thought you left me here to die."

"Harty-har-har. Stop whining, you big baby. If you can joke, then you're not dying.". Then she noticed his right arm clutching his left shoulder. "You okay?"

"Oh, yes. I'm fine, because having a freaking incendiary round in my body is _absolutely normal._"

"You know, I wasn't planning to leave you here, but since you reminded me, maybe I should."

"Jerk."

"We'll have time for banter, kids, but that's provided you get out of this alive. I have seven on your tails. Get your butts moving."

"Come on, let's get your sorry ass out of here.". She moved forward to help him, but he rejected the offer of assistance.

"I'm good. I can run. Just watch our backs. Don't think I can fight anymore."

"Okay.". They ran out of the office in tandem and made their way to the back exit. "Come on! Just a bit more..."

Just as they turned around the corner, a black figure jumped out of nowhere and tackled Colburn to the ground, knocking her down as well. A familiar glowing blade was hovering dangerously close over her partner's abdomen, retreating and advancing as both opponents tried to overpower each other. She scrambled to her feet, and the same orange light covered her forearm as she activated her own Omni-blade and plunged it straight into the attacker's side. The assailant immediately went limp, and Colburn pushed his motionless body to the side.

"Thanks, Cath...", he whispered as he got back up.

"You owe me big time for this.", she replied as they resumed their insane marathon for survival.

"If we get past this, I'll give you anything you want, deal?"

"Deal.". A faint green light told them that their ride back home wasn't far. Catherine brought up her Omni-tool once more. _Open sesame._ The door opened in an anti-climactic manner before them as she tinkered with her tech magic.

They made a final beeline for her car, and literally jumped right into their seats as soon as the doors opened. "This is your captain speaking. Please stow all trays and buckle your seat belts as we takeoff.", she quipped as their skycar started to rise into the air.

"Very funny..."

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_Colburn_

The wound was painful, but it wasn't even _half bad_ compared to the teasing he received since they came back the previous night. Catherine had been laughing and recounting how she had "saved his ass from eternal doom" back at The Malibu, and he wasn't allowed to retort because of the 'deal' they had made. _You just gave yourself Hell, Colburn. That should teach you not to shoot your mouth off,_ he chided.

He was hoping that breakfast would be relatively uneventful, but of course, what he hoped never seemed to happen.

"_Me: one, Cole: zero_.", was the first thing Catherine said -for the hundredth time- as she sat at the table.

Colburn sighed. _Four more days to go. I think I'd rather shoot myself. _"Good morning.", he said in a pleasant tone, and paired it with a death glare.

"Good morning. How's the arm? You know, you should've called me for help. Because if I managed to save your ass earlier, you wouldn't have been shot."

"Just eat your damn eggs..."

She promptly picked up her fork and started shoving scrambled eggs into her mouth. "But...", she interjected in between mouthfuls. "It's true."

He shook his head in defeat and walked over to the living room, and turned on the television. Immediately, the sight of an Asari newscaster filled the screen, datapad in hand.

"Breaking news, a firefight broke out yesterday at The Malibu, a human nightclub popular with the rich and famous. Illium police arrived on the scene to find five armed individuals trying to leave the area. After an exchange of gunfire, all five men were dead, with one officer injured. Investigations are still underway, with the bulk of the firefight that took place before the police arrived seemingly happened at a small office situated at the back of the premises. When the detectives questioned the patrons for anyone suspicious, a few had stated that two teenagers that have never been seen at the nightclub before were spotted."

The screen switched to the image of an overly enthusiastic brunette. "Oh, my, God. It's her! I met her yesterday, and I thought that we were meant to be best friends! I was even planning to have her join me for a threesome!"

"I think I'm gonna lose my appetite.", Catherine announced.

"... What? Her appearance? Um... Long, curly red hair, this ridiculously sexy dress... And those red heels! Did you see those-". The video dissolved into static halfway and switched to another teenager, though this one looked relatively sane.

"Yeah man. There was this blonde dude...". He paused to listen to someone standing behind the camera. "How I noticed him? Well... There was this hot chick, great ass and all that... I was planning to buy her a drink, but she went to sit with this blonde dude instead.". Then, the boy took on an agitated tone. "I mean, really? He's kinda good looking, I guess, but I'm much more handsome! Why the hell would she choose-". Once again, the video feed cut off and this time, it returned to the newscaster.

"Illium police has declined to give us further information until the case has been resolved. There is currently a planet-wide man hunt for these two humans in question. On other news...". Colburn switched off the television.

"I'm suddenly grateful for the blonde hair."

"Yeah, me too. Think they'll find us before we leave this planet?"

"Tantus' probably got it covered. _Maybe_."

"I'm hurt. Your lack of faith is shocking.", came Tantus' teasing from the hallway. Mug of Turian coffee in hand, he sat down beside Catherine, who still didn't look like she was finishing her eggs anytime soon.

"Yeah yeah, whatever."

"Still, good job getting that intel, people. Now all I have to do give this to C-Sec, and let them handle the rest. That drug ring should be busted in no time."

"What about us?", Catherine asked.

"I've got your rides to Omega. You won't be coming back to the Citadel."

"Wow. Zaeed the Grumpy Old Man? I hate him."

"I don't know. He's actually kinda nice..."

"Really, Cath? It's actually against Citadel law for 'Zaeed' and 'nice' to exist in the same airspace."

"You're just prejudiced against him."

"Or maybe you're just biased."

"Kids..."


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: So, I've been thinking... Since Catherine was an idea that came to me at around the time when I was at chapter 40 of SIC (which is really late), and that I still have about five main characters that are not yet introduced, I figured to take Metamorphosis' plot all the way. And when I say 'all the way', I mean having it deviate from what has been mentioned in SIC. I'm planning to do a full revamp of the whole thing, mainly because 1, my writing at the start was horribly amateurish, and 2, because I realised I could've added in a lot more details and totally new plot points. A rewrite would also give me a chance to add in possible scenes that I didn't manage to squeeze in (or thought of only after completion. The bloody Extended Cut DLC totally made me want to change the ending.).**

**So, yeah. It would probably be somesort of a novelisation of parts of the third game, with stuff explained to a certain detail, which allows readers who have absolutely no idea of Mass Effect (you know who you are) to have a better grasp and understanding of the whole damn thing. Of course, my own original plot points will still be there, but they'll have a different twist. (eg No Ash/Cole, or that someone else takes on the droid on Mars, the Alchera arc thing doesn't happen, etc)**

**But, as much as I want to start that right now, I can't. Because I myself don't know what's gonna happen to the characters of Metamorphosis, and I want Colburn's past and experiences to really have an effect on his decisions and reactions in the future (aka SIC).**

**Guess we'll see how it goes.**

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Chapter 15: Surprise! Maybe not.

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-Four days later, Omega-

_Catherine_

"I should've gone back with Tantus... This is a waste of time."

"Aww come on, Cole. It isn't that bad."

"_Oh, it isn't that bad, she says_.". Colburn rolled his eyes at Catherine. "That's easy for you to say... _You're not _the one watching from the sidelines. What am I? Your freaking chauffeur? Sending you and Mr Grumpy to and fro from missions? Is that it?"

"Well, you can't blame us. Your arm's still busted. Besides: _waste not, want not_. Right?"

"So I'm the extra now? The excess? The unwanted guy?"

"Chill out, kid. At least your driving skills are decent enough to not crash into anything in sight. Otherwise, you'd bet I won't even let you drive the car."

Catherine kicked Zaeed's shin at the declaration. _Not helping, big guy._

"Relax, Cole. You'll be back in no time. Tell you what: the first contract we get after you heal,_ I'll_ be your chauffeur. How's that?"

"Thanks, but I don't think so. I won't be around much longer."

"Why?"

"_This._". Colburn passed her the datapad he had been holding for some time.

"What's that?"

"A report, by Illium police. Tantus sent it to me yesterday."

_"About..?_ ". She took a look at the datapad. It was a background profile of a rather ordinary, but rugged looking man. "Who's this?"

"Remember the guy that came out of nowhere, with an Omni-blade?"

"Yeah...". She grimaced at the recalling of the assailant that nearly took Colburn's life.

"Illium police found him alive at The Malibu. They interrogated him, and..."

"And?"

"He wasn't part of the bouncers. No relationship or connection with them at all. None. Zilch. Zero.". Colburn's eyebrows furrowed with concern. "He only said he was being paid..."

"_To take your life_.", she concluded. "He was an assassin, _after you_."

"That's what Tantus thinks anyway. That's why dear Colburn over here's leaving.", Zaeed added.

"But to where?"

"He's sending me to college, back on Earth..."

Catherine's eyes widened in this belief. "He's sending you _back to school?_ That's ridiculous! And on Earth? What if your dad finds you?"

"I know, right? I told him it was a bad idea, but his mind was made up... Says he wants to create a distraction or something... 'The most dangerous place is the safest place' kinda bullshit."

"Get your diapers together, babies. We're talking about Tantus over here. Nothing can go wrong."

"Well, for once, Zaeed, something positive's come out of that rubbish chute of a mouth of yours.", Colburn replied.

"Enough, you two! Seriously! Guys! Stop squabbling like _boys_ and do something about this."

"There's nothing I can do, Cath. Believe me, _I tried_."

"And Zaeed?"

"Just gotta put your trust in Tantus, girl. Just gotta trust him..."

**A/N: Hah! Colburn's gotta go to school! Lol... The next chapter would be Hell for him, maybe... Don't worry, this is only a short transition. No highschool drama or anything... Promise!**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: So, I woke up at 6am, and the first thing I did was help TREBOR117 edit chapter 81 of Stuck In A World Of Fiction. **

**Then, I decided to play The Walking Dead: Episode 2 - Starved For Help, all the while eating canned pineapple chunks. Just a note, if you guys haven't played it yet, well, don't eat before you play. Because there's some serious leg-chopping action with your trusty fireaxe - which, I emphasise, are NOT CENSORED. I winced every single time that whiner cried out loud, or that you can see the muscle tissue still connecting his shin from his feet. Christ man. The developers are seriously sick. You have to bloody chop it off 5 TIMES before it's completely severed...**

***sigh* Though all that power-struggle drama between Lily and Kenny gave me some serious inspiration for Metamorphosis' future chapters. And 4 hours later, I'm still eating my pineapple chunks... Pineapple makes me delirious, just like that Redsand-intoxicated Volus during Samara's loyalty mission in ME2...**

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Chapter 16: Change of plans.

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-October, 2176, Earth-

_Colburn_

College wasn't as bad as Colburn thought. Although e-books were a major change from the usual guns he had been holding for the past two years, the sense of normalcy was more than welcome. Going to school and mixing with people his age was much more smooth-sailing than chasing fleeing Batarians in the alleys of Omega. Somehow, Tantus had managed to find a relatively decent college without it being situated 'along the ass end of nowhere', as Catherine had termed, along with another alias: Brian Drake. Thankfully, Brian Drake had black hair, not blonde.

_Besides,_ he thought to himself. _You get allowance, a nice little apartment, a car... And most importantly, you don't get __shot at._

For the past few weeks, he had been indulging himself in what was most probably a literal once-in-a-lifetime chance for him: _Go to class, hang around, get wasted at the nearby bar, go home wasted, rinse and repeat._

Studying psychology wasn't as hard as he had thought. At first, like any other sane teenage contract killer, he had strongly opposed the notion of going back to school. But, naturally, Tantus, without seeking anyone's opinion whatsoever, had already enrolled him for a psychology course. _It helps to know your enemy's thoughts, _he said. Colburn was no doubt sceptical, but eventually came to acknowledge the sadly unfortunate truth that course was, in fact, enjoyable.

It was Friday night, and, as it had been for the past few weeks, Colburn was preparing to head out to the pub for a new friend's birthday party. Except... He hadn't quite managed to find the birthday gift he had bought.

_Come on, present... Where are you? _Just as he was flipping through the pillows on the couch, his Omni-tool blinked. He picked up the call to find a friendly face on his screen. "Hey, Brian! Where the hell are you? Everyone's here already!"

"Um, I'm still looking for my stuff. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Better make it quick. We're waiting."

"Yeah, you guys have fun. Don't wait up for me.".

The Omni-tool's holographic screen promptly shut down. _Come on, Miles Colburn... You can do this... Just try and remember where you put it..._ And then... "Found it!". Better get going. They're all waiting for me.

Present in hand, Colburn raced out of the apartment and headed straight for the carpark._ Crap, it's raining. No one's out here tonight. _Climbing to his seat, his hands found the ignition, but instead of the usual vibrations that told him the engine was running, there was only silence. "Damn it...". He pressed the button repeatedly nonstop, but still nothing happened. "Guess I gotta get a cab."

Sighing, he grabbed the present and ran out onto the large, empty street, hoping for a cab to come to sight. Almost immediately, he saw a car from afar heading in his direction. _Lucky me. _But as the car got closer, Colburn could make out the outline of the vehicle coming his way, which oddly, was increasing its speed. Realisation hit Colburn a few seconds later as he rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding a head-on collision. The car, which he could now clearly see as a roadster, crashed straight into the lamp post that stood just behind his previous spot.

Picking himself off the ground, Colburn found the present he had just so painstakingly searched for, laying not too far from himself. He picked it off the ground only to find the unmistakable sound of glass shards tossed around in the box. _Great, I paid two hundred credits for this thing and now it's gone._ The temporary student turned his attention back to the burning skycar. Whoever was inside hadn't got out yet. Stupid drunk asshole, ruining my evening, and then I've gotta drag his pathetic ass out of this mess.

"Hey, you hear me?", Colburn shouted, while banging a fist against the tinted window. No answer. _Guess he's out cold. _Opening the door and expecting a wasted man groaning, Colburn's eyes widened when he saw a Drell, eyes staring wide and clearly sober, sword in hand, pounce on him.

"God damn it!", Colburn cursed as the assailant tried to bury his blade into his body. The both of them were rolling about on the concrete pavement, trying to gain upperhand. The vanguard soon found a fist wrapped in biotic energy connect with his face, and Colburn felt his cheekbones threaten to crack. _That's gonna leave a mark._ Rolling them over, with himself at the bottom, Colburn sent a kick to the assassin's stomach, which sent the Drell flying off his body and onto the hard ground beside him. The sword, on the other hand, had clattered out of reach and onto the road.

Seizing the opportunity, Colburn jumped onto the still-lying assailant and sent a few nasty punches to both sides of his face. That's what you get for hitting the face, idiot. Trying to retaliate, the assassin tried to go for the throat, but the hands were instantly slammed to the ground again. With the aid of biotics, Colburn pounded his fists straight on the wrists of his opponent, shattering them. He biotically pulled the abandoned sword into his hands, and had the blade pressed against the Drell's neck.

"Who are you working for? Who sent you?". The assassin didn't reply. "Answer me!". Without a word, the captive leaned his neck upwards, a spray of warm, disgusting red blood landed on Colburn's clothes.

"Christ. I need a bath and... oh yeah, a talk with Tantus."

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_Tantus_

"Hmmn, this all sounds very interesting. A Drell? They work for the Hanar, mostly..."

"Or anyone that has the credits...", Colburn added.

"Where are you now?"

"Went back, got all my stuff, and left the damn place. I'm at the safehouse now, just like you told me to."

"Good. And the body?"

"Placed it in the car. The cops are in for a treat. But...". Colburn faltered. "Tantus, what do we do now? Now I've got some stupid jellyfish who wants my life bad enough to send a Drell all the way here on Earth..."

"Maybe it's somebody else. The Hanar are... _easy going people._"

"Yeah, you don't say... I wouldn't be surprised if you-know-who was behind this."

"But regardless of who the mastermind is, we have only one option left: join the Systems Alliance."

"What about Cath?"

"What do you think?"

**A/N: I'm leaving the ending ambiguous because I seriously have no idea whether I want her to go in with Cole or not... Leave a vote in the form of a review or text or PM! Help me!**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: And here's a quick little sneak peek for you guys. Just a note, it won't be long. In fact, it's probably very short, but what the hell.**

**Since no one's answered my plea for help, guess I'll decide for myself. Oh well.**

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Chapter 17: Circumstances.

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-August, 2177-

_Colburn_

"I still don't get it. We applied for the posts together, same year, same month, same day, same hour, same minute. And yet you're in the army, stuck on Earth, while I went as planned straight to the navy. Seriously?"

"Easy there, Cath. I did everything I could. No use complaining."

"Aren't you angry? I mean, you went for an appeal the second you knew about it, then the told you that they'll settle it after the six-months-long boot camp. _Bam._ It's been four months after the boot camp, and they still haven't replied to you!"

"Relax, marine. Why, you miss me?"

"I'm not playing around over here, Cole. I'm serious! I don't get why you _and_ Tantus act like you guys don't care! Either the Alliance is made up of idiots, or someone up high's got an issue with you. And so far, only _one guy _has an issue with you."

"There's nothing more we can do, Cath. But I don't think it's him. The last thing he's expecting is for me to go right under his nose. Besides, I can take care of myself.". Colburn tried to change the subject. "So, how's your ride on the SSV Elbrus? That's a giant ass dreadnought."

Catherine's face brightened up at the mention of the ship she was currently posted at. "This ship is so cool. You have absolutely no idea how great this is. The people, the space, the equipment. Oh and you so have to see what happened when the CO switched off the gravity of the whole ship! Danny was just- oh, uh, sorry."

"What's wrong? You were talking so happily."

"You should've been here too, having fun in space, going from planet to planet..."

"Hey, there now. There's nothing to worry about, sunshine. I'll be fine."

"I know, but-". Catherine was cut short as someone off-camera called for her. "Yeah, be right there!", she yelled back. Then she turned back to Colburn. "Sorry, gotta go. It's my shift."

"Okay. Don't try and get yourself kicked out of the airlock, alright?"

"Promise.". The screen of Colburn's terminal faded to black as the other party disconnected the line.

"Girlfriend?". Colburn looked up to see Jonathan Campbell smile at him.

He shook his head at the sandy-haired lad, who was two years his senior. "If she was, Johnny boy, it would be called _incest_."

"Sister then, I take it?"

"Something like that."

"What do you mean, 'something like that'? Either she's your sister, or she's not."

"Well then, consider her to be in the middle."

"There's actually a sister-yet-not-a-sister kinda thing?"

"Now you're just making no sense, John."

**A/N: Here's an introduction to one of our main characters. You'll be seeing more of our dear John over here in future chapters. You'll see.**

**And just in case some of you don't understand the terms above, here's a little explanation.**

**The Systems Alliance is the name of the government body that represents Earth and Humanity on the intergalactic political stage.**

**A dreadnought, is a large ass spaceship around twice the size of an apartment building (I think. It's just gigantic.). Dreadnoughts are named after Earth's mountains, such as Mt Everest or Mt Fuji.**

**Second in size, are cruisers, which are named after Earth cities, such as London or Vancouver.**

**Next, come the smaller frigates, which are named after historic battles, such as the Normandy.**

**Carriers, on the other hand, are named after famous human individuals, such as Einstein. They are as large as dreadnoughts, but, instead of carrying humans, they contain smaller fighters(something like today's fighter planes, except since this is in the future, they fight in space) as well as Makos (the term for tanks. You know, the armoured giants on wheels with big cannons.). Think of it has a mobile carpark for these battle vehicles. In a war, a carrier will transport all these battle, and then hundreds of fighters (if it takes place in space) will come out and fight you to the death.**

**(Note, Steve Cortez previously served on the SSV Hawking, named after Stephen Hawking, where he was a pilot flying a Trident, which is another kind of fighter-planeish thing.)**

**The prefix 'SSV' is short for 'Systems alliance Space Vehicles', which kinda shows what kind of a ship you are.**

**For example, a ship by the name SSV Montreal tells me that it is a ship under the ownership of the Systems Alliance (meaning it's full of humans) and it's cruiser-sized. It's like when you go overseas, and when the pilot lands the plane, he has to identify himself as well as the plane.**

**I did not make up all these facts. I dug through the official codex provided by BioWare and just repeated them over here.**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Hello to subscriber six! Glad to have you, AnnaComnena. Sorry for the short hiatus. Things were pretty fucked up yesterday.**

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Chapter 18: Complications.

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-April, 2179, Brazil, Earth-

_Campbell_

The past three years had certainly been interesting. Ever since Miles Colburn had joined in, their friendship had grown relatively quickly, though that was probably attributed to their mutual distaste for the political feuds between the higher-ups.

Both men were having lunch at the Mess Hall, currently on break. Joined by another companion, Lieutenant Jack Napier, the trio sat around the table, talking about their latest plans.

"So, Cole, you really signed up for the N program huh?", Campbell asked, hands working on the plate of steak before him.

"Hey, if you two are going, how can you count me out?"

"You do know they only accept commissioned officers, right? Just a reminder, you're _Gunnery Chief Colburn, _not _Lieutenant Colburn_.", Napier said, bringing his cigarette to his lips.

"Well-". Colburn stopped short as an unfamiliar man in uniform approached them.

"You Gunnery Chief, Miles Colburn?"

"Yes sir.", he replied, standing up from his seat.

"Someone high up wants to see you."

"What for?", Colburn questioned, with an edge to his voice.

"Beats me. Follow me.". The man turned around and started walking off without even waiting for a second.

"Be right back.". The Chief then promptly took off after the fellow officer.

Campbell arched an eyebrow at the red haired sitting opposite him. "What's that about?"

"Bloody hell if I knew...", the Briton retorted. "Eh, he'll be fine.". Napier raised his bottle. "Drink up."

"You're unbelievable...", Campbell muttered, clinking his can of soda against Napier's beer.

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_Colburn_

A hundred possible scenarios played in the vanguard's head as he walked behind the officer. _Someone up high? Could it be...? No, it can't be. He would've killed you if he knew._

"Just wait here.", the man said, afterwards closing the door behind him as he left. Colburn looked around the room. Except for the vid comm built in the middle of the room, there was virtually nothing. Hints of blue and violet snaked around his finger tips, ready to increase in intensity and magnitude at a moment's notice.

There was a sudden _beep,_ after which a holographic image of a man popped up. It was familiar, yet not quite what he was expecting.

"_Admiral Hackett? _". The Admiral had looked significantly older than Colburn had last saw him five years ago. The streaks of black that stood out from head of white were long gone without a trace, but his eyes and body posture signalled that he was as energetic as ever.

Steven Hackett's eyes crinkled as he gave a small smile. "Miles.". Then the smile vanished. "I never expected you to be in the military. But, I also didn't foresee that you would change your name.". The ensuing silence spoke of an unvocalised _'care to explain?'._

"I...". _Crap, now how do I explain?_

"_You,_ Miles, ran away from home five years ago, without a trace. _That's half a decade, _son. Your father searched high and low for you-". _Yeah, of course he would_. "-published notices on the newspapers every single day for a full three months. There was no news, no word from you, no nothing."

"I-"

"We thought you were _dead._". Oh, how wishes he that was true. "How could you leave your father in such a situation during his darkest moments?"

Colburn's anger flared at the accusation. He opened his mouth, indignity threatening to spill the beans about everything. _Not now. Too early. _He managed to keep his mouth shut by biting his tongue at the last minute.

"My family issues, _sir,_ are strictly personal.", he said through gritted teeth, deliberately emphasis on the formality. "If you have nothing else, I'll leave."

"There is something else.". _This better be good._ "I've... received reports that a certain NCO has requested to join the N program?"

"You're looking at him.". Colburn kept his tone professional.

"Chief,", Hackett replied, this time addressing him by rank. "You do know that only commissioned officers are accepted. Why did you apply?"

"Why don't you give me a reason why I'm not qualified instead?", he challenged. If it was any other superior officer, Colburn would've been charged for insubordination. But he decided to take his chances, considering it was Hackett. As far as things went, it seemed the odds were in his favour. "_With all due respect, _Admiral, that rule is bullshit and you know that."

"Convince me why I should make an exception for you."

"Because I know I'm cut out for this. I'll make a deal with you."

"How?"

"Two words: N1. I'll prove it to you that I'm more than qualified. I'll top the N1 course. If I do, you'll have to let me go through the whole damn thing."

"And if you come in second?"

"Then I'll quit. I'll leave this Alliance for good."

"Fair enough."

"And sir?". Hackett gave him a questioning look. "Don't tell my father about this."

The Admiral didn't reply, and instead, merely disconnected the link without a word.

_That went well, _he remarked to himself sarcastically.

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-SSV Elbrus-

_Catherine_

"Wow. As much as I idolise him, Hackett's unbelievably stupid sometimes. I mean, he's such an idiot for believing that asshole!"

"Sshh! Pipe down, will you! You want everyone on the dreadnought to know about everything?"

Catherine frantically looked around. Thankfully, the Crew's Quarters was empty. "Sorry.". She gave Colburn a sheepish grin. "Just think it's ridiculous, you know?"

"Yeah, talk about it..."

"You think he's gonna tell your dad everything?"

"If he does, well..."

"'_Well'_ what?"

"Two words: we're fucked."

And the both of them let the happy thought sink in.

Colburn sighed. "What about you?"

"What do you mean, what about me? If you're going, then I'm going too."

"You sure?"

"Buddies stick together, Chief."

"Yeah, yeah. Rub it in all you want, _Lieutenant._ Did you, by any chance, bribe a certain officer, like say, your captain? It's absolutely impossible for you to get promoted faster than me!"

"Deal with it, Cole. At least now you know who's the better soldier."

"Shut up, marine."

"Aye aye... _Chief._"

"I hate you."

"Sure you do."

**A/N: I hate Hackett. No really, I hate Hackett. I think he's annoying. Oh, and just to add: Jack Napier, our resident alcoholic and smoker, belongs to iBayne. :p**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: I love rain. It's been pouring nonstop for a couple of days over here. I feel like I'm in paradise. And paradise provides inspiration. :D **

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Chapter 19: The start.

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-July 2176, Spain, Earth-

_Napier_

"What do you think they're gonna tell us at the pep talk later on?"

"I don't know. Offer us free cigarettes?"

"Jack...", Campbell warned.

"What?"

"Your sense of humour, LT, is awful."

"That might just be the understatement of the century.", Colburn added.

"Harty-har-har.". Napier stepped forward and blocked the walking duo. "I'll have you two know that I have the best sense of humour in the damn bloody galaxy!"

"Okay. Give us a good joke.", Colburn challenged.

"Oh, forget about it, Chief.", Campbell interjected. "He can't come up with a decent one even if his life depended on it.".

Napier glared at the both of them. "You're lucky the talk's starting, or I'll show you funny.". He flexed his knuckles for extra emphasis.

"Yeah yeah, sure.", Campbell scoffed. "Come on, let's go in. I think it's starting.". The trio entered the large briefing room, which was, to put simply, _crowded._

"Did we get the wrong address? There's probably more than a hundred people in here."

"Didn't you hear, Chief? Every year, more than a hundred sign up."

"And less than fifteen graduate as N7s.", Campbell added.

"_Right..._ You'll excuse me if I don't find that encouraging."

"Actually, I heard that they've cut back on the number of applicants this time round.". All three of them turned and looked around at the smooth voice, lightly tinged with what Napier thought was French.

Out of the blue, John brushed past them to hug the black haired, six-feet-three lad. "Louis! What are you doing here?"

"Same reason as you, _ami_.You can't seriously be expecting me to be the janitor, no?"

"Don't mean to interrupt, but..."

Campbell seemed to snap back from his temporary ecstasy. "Of course, I forgot to introduce you guys.". He patted 'Louis' on the shoulder. "This here, is my longest friend, Lieutenant Louis Desmont. Louis, meet my two buddies, Gunnery Chief Miles Colburn and Lieutenant Jack Napier."

They took turns shaking hands with the tall man. "So, Louis, where are you stationed at? Mexico, France, Singapore...?", Napier asked.

"Actually, I'm in the navy. My most recent posting was on the dreadnought, the SSV Elbrus."

"Elbrus?". Colburn sounded oddly concerned. "Do you, by any chance, know a certain Catherine Olsen?"

"Ah, yes, _Catherine._ Fine marine, that one. She signed up for the program too. She's... There she is!". _Can someone tell me what's going on?_ "Hey Cath!", Desmont hollered. "Got your friend over here!"

A certain dark haired girl turned and craned her neck at the shout. Her eyes shot up in surprise as she saw the group of them. In the blink of an eye, she had ran towards the bunch of them, and, rather unexpectedly as well, gave Colburn a warm embrace. "God, I missed you.", she mumbled into the collar of his uniform.

When they pulled away, the Gunnery Chief ruffled her hair. "We've met only slightly less than half a year ago, and I'm God to you now?"

She playfully punched him in the chest. "You know I didn't mean that...". She turned her attention to the rest of them.

"Now that's a bad Catherine. You never told me about friends in the army.", Desmont commented.

"Well, a girl's gotta have some secrets.", she replied, cheeky grin plastered on her face.

"She's got a point, Louis...", Campbell said. "Hey there, I'm John Campbell, nice to meet you.". The Lieutenant shook hands with her. "You must be that sister-not-a-sister Colburn talked about."

"That's what he told you?". She leaned in to his ear, faux whispering in a volume that was clearly audible to everyone in the vicinity. "Don't tell anyone, but I'm actually his secret nanny."

"That's not true."

"Then what's true?", Napier joined in.

"I'm her babysitter."

"That's a lie!"

"Bloody bollocks, you two talk like this every time you meet?", the Briton asked.

"No!", they replied in unison agitatedly.

"Let's just pretend I didn't ask anything, alright?"

"Easy there, Jack. Cole's the only mentally unsound one over here. I'm perfectly sane.", Catherine assured.

"You know me? I haven't even introduced myself!"

"I don't suppose there's any other red head he knows?"

"Well, I do know another one, actually. And she's-"

"Sshh!", she interrupted.

"I sense something we all should know about."

"Then that story's going to have to wait. The talk's starting.". Desmont pointed to a group of senior officers entering the room.

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_Catherine_

"As I've said, the N program is only suitable for the tough, fast, and brutal. Every soldier and marine that pass this are nothing but the cream of the crop. The best of the elites, hardened warriors of steel forged through the flames of Hell. It isn't for everyone. During the last batch, only five out of the original one hundred and thirty eight made it through as N7s.". The whole briefing room was momentarily engulfed in a sea of whispers at the rather demoralising statistics.

"Over the years, thousands of men as tough as nails went in thinking they could overcome everything and anything thrown their way, only to come out broken. Only a few managed to walk out with the 'N7' symbol emblazoned on the chestplates of their armour. Therefore, anyone who is having second thoughts can leave this room. No one will call you a coward."

The mutterings and whispers all died down at the prospect of leaving, but no one raised a hand or got up from his or her seat.

The N7 instructor grunted in approval. "I see all of you are determined to make the cut. You've talked the talk. Now it's time to walk the walk. Now, let's move on to..."

"I'm surprised you didn't chicken out.", Colburn whispered, seated next to her.

"The last chicken I saw was on my plate during lunch just now. Unless you're talking about yourself..."

"Wise ass."

**A/N: And the real life alter ego of Louis Desmont is... Armageddon Coconut! :D**

**Speaking of which, that's two Brits in Metamorphosis now! iBayne and Armageddon Coconut should... Gee. I don't know. Eat fish and chips together? O.o No racism intended. :p **


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Sorry for not posting this sooner. Haven't really been able to get my mind on writing. Received news that my 90-plus grandfather fell and burst a blood vessel in his brain. The doc says that he might not survive the week. My mum flew back to stay with him until the critical period's over. I would've too, if not for the fact that she wants me to stay for school.**

**Anyway, I don't think there'll be anymore chapters for the week, or at least until my grandpa's safe. Just want to say thank you for the support all this while since SIC and hopefully nothing else will happen and everything goes back to normal soon.**

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Chapter 20: It's for real now.

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-September 2180, a bar in Rio de Janeiro, Earth-

_Catherine_

"Aww man, ya know, when they said N was tough, I didn't quite believe it. Until now...", Napier complained, taking a large gulp of beer.

It had been fourteen months ever since the five of them had signed up for the N program alongside another hundred of soldiers and marines. True to his word, Colburn had managed -abet barely- to clinch the first position in performance for the N1 class. Throughout the 2-months-long ordeal, each and every candidate had to lead a small squad through hostile terrain and train for more than twenty hours per day with limited food and water. Thirty five gave up the first day, with another twenty calling it quits by the end of the week. By the time they completed the whole course of N1, only sixty seven of the initial hundred and sixty remained.

"Man, that's some messed up bloody bollocks. N1, they dumped us in the middle of God-knows-where and starve us. N2, we went Zero-G on Titan, and just had all of us squeezed into a God damn washing machine and turn us 'round and round. And don't even get me started on the rest of the Ns. They were-"

"Oh stop whining like a baby, Napier.", Campbell interrupted.

"But-"

"John's right, _ami._ You signed up for this, you've got to bite the bullet and keep walking. You weren't expecting them to have you seated at a restaurant and serve you _escargot_ on silverware, were you?", Desmont teased.

"Come on, doesn't a dashing hunk like me get to just complain for awhile?"

"Sorry, Jackie,", Catherine quipped. "but 'dashing' doesn't exactly apply to you. Especially not with that red hair of yours."

"Hey! I take pride in that!". The British soldier immediately began to argue just how attractive his hair colour was, until the ever-cool Lieutenant Campbell cut him off.

"Come on, Napier. Let's go find somewhere to ooze your 'red charm'.", he said, dragging both Napier and Desmont to the other end of the bar.

Walking over to Colburn, who was perched on a stool at the bar, she signalled for the bartender to get her a bottle of beer. "Where are the guys?", he asked.

"Goofing, as usual.". She pointed towards the trio, who were then chatting with a group of girls. "I bet fifty credits Napier's not gonna get any girl hooked up.". Colburn grunted in acknowledgement. "You okay? You look off these couple of days.". There was a brief pause as the bartender arrived with her beer. "And I never thought I'd see you drinking soda at a bar."

"I prefer to keep my mind clear. Never know when another hitman's coming after me."

"What do you mean? What hitman?". Something in Catherine's gut told her things were less than optimistic.

Colburn leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Got intel. My father knows we're here. In the Alliance."

She pulled away in surprise. "Hackett told him?"

"Can't think of anyone else."

"Damn, that guy's stupid.". _Real stupid._

"Yeah, figured as much.", Colburn agreed.

"What are you going to do now?"

"What _can_ I do anyway? Just keep going until we graduate I guess. We've just passed N5. One more for N6 and we're done."

"And _after_ we graduate?"

"See as it goes?"

"That's a fancy way of sayin you don't have a plan, do you?"

"Unless you have another, then there's not much else we can do.", he countered.

"Guess you're right.", she relented.

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-The next day, Vila Militar-

_Napier_

"Congratulations, candidates. Throughout the past year, many have given up, or failed to make the cut for the N program. And now, fourteen of you remain, ready to take on the final challenge: N6, after which you will get the coveted N7 insignia.". _Blah blah blah. Can we get this over with? _

"In N6, you will be sent on the most demanding of missions, ranging from intel collection, to taking out an entire enemy base. There are no chances for screw ups. These are real, true, genuine missions. So if anyone wishes to call it quits now, raise your hand."

As expected, no one did.

"Very good.", the instructor nodded in approval. "You will be divided into two teams of seven. In each mission, each and every candidate takes turns to assume leadership for that particular one. As per our performance analysis, we have grouped all of you beforehand."

As the instructor began to read out the names, Napier whispered loudly enough for the other four to hear. "Hey, you think we'll stick together?"

"Sshh!", Catherine hushed.

"Michelle Hanson, Karl Lenin, Catherine Olsen, John Campbell, Miles Colburn, Louis Desmont, Jack Napier. You seven belong to squad Echo."

"Hey, you've got another girl now.", Napier whispered to Catherine.

"Shut up."

"Bravo and Echo, your teams will temporarily stay on the SSV Hangzhou and SSV Capetown respectively for your N6 course. Pack up, you leave tomorrow morning at 0930 hours. Lights are out in an hour. Until then, try to get to know each other.". And with that, their instructor left the briefing room, leaving fourteen slightly overwhelmed N candidates to themselves.

_Well, guess it's time for socialising._


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: First things first. I want to thank you guys for the well wishes and everything. That's nice of you people. And, Armageddon Coconut's joining us officially as number 7! Yay!**

**Second, I've created this tumblr site, where I'll be posting game reviews, rants, and quite possibly extra _hints_ on what I plan for Metamorphosis' future chapters. Check it out. convictionsc()tumblr()com Take a look! **

**Third, my grandfather's operation was thankfully, a success. Guess we're back in business.**

**Dedicating this chapter to my talking-crap friend, Regina, because it's her birthday! :D HAPPY BIRTHDAY MISS PANG. STAY CRAPPY ALWAYS!**

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Chapter 21: French, Russian, and Chinese.

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-Two days later, male Crew's Quarters, SSV Capetown-

_Colburn_

"So, basically now we have a Chinese dude with a Russian name, and a very pretty lady called Michelle as our squadmates."

"In case you haven't noticed, Napier, you've been saying that ever since we got onboard.". Colburn was starting to get severely irritated with the soldier's infatuation with the 'exotic' name of their new comrade, as well as another rather attractive one.

"Hey, you've got to admit, she's cute. And you have to wonder why a Chinese guy's got a Russian name, right? You think he's adopted or something?"

"Even if he is, it's none of your business, Jacky-boy.", Campbell said.

"Aren't you two the least bit curious?"

"You're just poking your nose into things that don't concern you, Mr Red."

"Hey!". The Brit glared at Colburn. "I take that as an insult!"

"So you agree your hair's horrible?"

"No! Yes! I mean- urgh! Now you're just messing with me!"

Desmont merely shook his head in amusement. "Whatever it is, you're all lucky Karl isn't here right now. That guy doesn't take jokes. One wrong word and you'll find yourself under his boot, begging for mercy."

"You know him?", Colburn asked.

"You don't have to know him. Be in the Alliance long enough and you'll hear of him one way or another. The man's blacklisted for unnecessary violence and aggression, especially towards aliens. But somehow he's always gotten off the hook. Even has three medals awarded to him."

Napier whistled. "Wow. You'd think he has contacts with the higher ups or something."

"_Oui._ So if you ever want to get on his bad side, kindly leave me out of it. _Merci beaucoup._"

"Mercy _what?_ ", Napier questioned.

The French laughed at his perplexed expression. "It means 'thank you very much', _mon ami._"

"Gee. For the record, I don't speak French."

"But I do.", Desmont retorted.

"And I'm learning from him.", Campbell added.

"So am I.", Colburn said, with a too-pleasant smile plastered on his face.

"Git."

**A/N: This chapter's dialogue is especially crappy. You know why? Because it's crappily custom made for Regina Pang. :D**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Sorry for the pause. Suddenly lost the will to continue writing because of some stuff going on. By the way, I just started a new series! It's called Take Two. Check it out! Did a review on The Walking Dead and Alan Wake too. It's on my tumblr.**

**And there are going to be quite a few technical terms in this chapter, so read the AN at the end to know all about it.**

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Chapter 22: Takeoff.

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-Shuttle, en route to Watson-

_Catherine_

"Welcome to your mission, N6s.", their instructor greeted them from the large screen. "You're now heading to Watson, a greenhouse planet similar to Earth in its early stages."

"What's the sitrep, sir?", Campbell asked, fingers gripped tightly around his Locust. The sentinel was in his prime condition. He had been spending most of his time on physical training ever since they boarded the SSV Capetown.

"There's high value personnel on the planet, extract them unscathed and have them returned to the Alliance."

"What's the catch?", Colburn asked.

"It has been reported that Watson has been raided by a fleet of Batarian slave traders and pirates. These aren't ordinary Batarians either. They have a deep hatred of humans, especially so after the Skyllian Blitz. Though them having our valuable personnel is a fluke, and they don't know it themselves, it still doesn't change the fact that they are in danger of death."

"So, go in, get them out, and go back good. Gotcha.". Catherine looked in amusement at Michelle's calm demeanour, as if they were all just getting some groceries. The brunette was surprisingly pleasant and friendly, which was a very good thing in Catherine's book, considering that they were the only girls on the team.

"Well, let's hope that we don't need another Lieutenant Shepard to save our asses today like those Elysium civilians did.", Napier quipped. "Heard that guy got promoted to Staff Lieutenant and got awarded four medals."

"Shut up, we're here.", was the only response the reference received.

_Sheesh. What's up Karl's ass? Oh right, a stick._

"Lieutenant Desmont, you'll be in charge of this mission.", their instructor announced as the shuttle landed. "Good luck, candidates.", he said, before the screen turned to black.

"Anyone ready for lesson one?", the French asked as he unfolded his Avenger.

"Is it French class?", Colburn teased.

"I'm thinking Italian.", Catherine added.

"Spanish sounds good.", Michelle said with a small smile.

"How about Chinese or Russian?". Everyone stared at Napier's statement, wide-eyed. _Do you want to get us all killed by friendly fire, Napier? _Thankfully though, Karl simply ignored it and walked a few steps forward. Campbell smacked the Brit on the head.

"Nice going, Jacky.", he said sarcastically.

"Shut up.", came Karl's harsh order. _God, does he say anything other than that?_

Desmont joined him in front, and his body tensed, before crouching down and gesturing for the others to do so as well.

"There's a gathering straight ahead. Four Batarian sitting around a fire. I can't see anything else beyond them, but I'd say there's a lot more of them."

"Well, what do we do, boss? It's your call.", Napier questioned.

"I think we should just go in and rip every single Batarian to shreds.", Karl commented. _Now he's excessively violent too?_

"_I,_ think we should get someone up there to check it out.", Desmont countered, indirectly asserting his authority as the squad leader.

"Did I just a hear a distant plea?", Michelle hinted.

"Please and thank you.", the French humoured. As the infiltrator unholstered her pistol, he added, "Colburn, watch her back. You're the one who can get her out as fast as possible when anything happens."

"Aye aye.". Weapons and cloak at the ready, the duo moved out, heads bent and backs hunched. "Campbell, deploy an airdrone. Catherine, find a vantage point and get a look with your sniper. Karl, stay here with them and watch their backs.". Karl scowled, obviously displeased with the arrangement, but Desmont didn't seen to take notice. "Napier, you're with me. We'll go up closer and watch from the sidelines on the other side."

After the pair took off, Catherine unclipped her Raptor while Campbell took out a few electronic parts from his backpack and began assembling the device. "Great, now we're stuck here with Mr I-will-kill-everybody.", she muttered to no one in particular

"As unpleasant as he is, he's quite a fighter. You should be thankful he's on our side.", Campbell whispered back.

"Yeah, well...", she turned her head slightly to take another look at their new teammate.

"Guess you're right."

**A/N: Now, non-ME readers are probably confused, so here's an explanation for you guys. **

**Soldier- experts in guns and grenades, but have zero tech and biotic abilities. Same old gun-wielding warriors. Napier and Desmont are in this class.**

**Engineer- tech experts, but not so good in weapons and zero biotic capabilities. Engineers can construct turrets or hack the most complex of systems than anyone else. They can also upgrade and modify their weapons to their specifications. But usually work from the back. Campbell is an engineer.**

**Adept- a very powerful biotic, specialising in it. Adepts are true biotics, able to use all types of biotic manipulation. Their level of proficiency also makes adepts the most powerful human biotics. But not so good in firearms with zero tech abilities. Karl is an adept.**

**Vanguard- a cross between soldier and adept. Vanguards have the exclusive ability of encasing themselves in biotic energy and teleporting themselves at the enemies, and are good a close-quarter-combat because of their up-close-and-personal way of attacking. Often serve on the frontlines due to ability to wreck havoc and cause confusion. Colburn is a vanguard.**

**Sentinel- cross between an engineer and adept. This tech-biotic combination has a unique holographic armour called tech armour, which is exclusive to them. It varies in colour according to the individual. Sentinels mix tech and biotics to do devastating damage to their enemies. Catherine is a sentinel.**

**Infiltrator- mix of engineer and soldier. A more combat-orientated version of engineers, infiltrators have a unique invisibility cloak only available to themselves. They act mostly as snipers or are mostly handed missions that require sneaking about without being detected. Michelle is an infiltrator.**

**Do note that mixed-classes have unique abilities only for themselves. Pure ability classes are usually not very good at combat, thus mostly use smallarms like submachine guns and pistols. The cross-abilities classes are in the middle, using whatever suits them best. For example, since vanguards like to get close, they usually prefer shotguns, while infiltrators like snipers. But these vary from person to person. Soldiers, on the other hand, use anything and everything.**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Oh yes, and I forgot to introduce darkerego as subscriber seven. :D**

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Chapter 23: Trust, lost and gained.

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_Michelle_

"Wait here. I'll sneak in."

"Got it."

Bringing up her Omni-tool, Michelle activated her cloak, and approached the group of Batarians that were huddling around the fire. Taking care to not step on any fallen twigs and branches laying on the ground, she crept closer. She froze for a moment as one of the Batarians suddenly turned his head in her direction. _Please tell me he doesn't know I'm here._

"What's wrong, Qabak?", the other Batarian asked.

Qabak's four eyes seemed to scrutinise the air around the infiltrator. A sudden pang of worry and panic washed over her, and she brought up her arms, only to find nothing in her view. _Phew. The camo's still working._

Michelle still didn't move, afraid of giving herself away. After what felt like the longest five minutes of her life, Qabak finally returned his gaze to the bright orange fire in front of him. "Eh, guess it's nothing.". _That was close._

Crouching lower than ever, she gingerly made her way behind them, only to discover a camp full of Batarians, all armed with guns, which was not supposed to be surprising at all. _But it was, _because they all donned the signature blue and white uniform of the Blue Suns. _What's a mercenary group doing here?_

Glancing around at the tents around them, she sneaked into the nearest one, hoping to find some information of use and gain insight into their situation. It was empty and bare, save for a bed, a desk full of datapads and a naked, overhanging light bulb. After checking both entrances to see if the coast was clear, she deactivated her cloak. _Better to let it recharge for a bit._

"Colburn, this is Hanson. I'm in a tent now.", she whispered softly into her earpiece. "There's a bunch of information here to process. I think I'll take some time."

"Understood. I've got your back. What'd you have so far?"

"This isn't any random act of hatred from the Batarian Hegemony... It's the Blue Suns. They're the ones behind this."

"A business transaction?"

"Yeah, I think so too. They're using the government as a smokescreen. Blue Suns get the slaves and loot, Hegemony gets respect and revenge on humans. Win-win solution."

"Sounds about right.". A menacing laugh came from behind her, causing Michelle to drop what she was holding. Her body froze when she felt the barrel of a gun jammed against the back of her head. Slowly, she lifted her hands up. "That's a good girl.". Her eyes widened when she recognised the voice as Qabak's. "Never expected me, did you?". The infiltrator heard him smirk. "Humans, always so sneaky and despicable, and run at the sight of a straight on battle. Expected."

She was preparing to make a haughty comeback, to try to stall for time for Colburn to come with help. Her comm was left on when Qabak appeared, so her partner should have been able to hear the conversation. All of sudden, she felt the gun being pulled away from her head, and a few muffled yelps of pain followed. She spun around to find a smiling Colburn standing triumphantly over a groaning Qabak, who was laying on the ground.

"Can I get a thank you?", he said, smiling widely.

"Better. Drinks are on me the next time we get shore leave."

"Eight pm, Flux?", he asked.

"It's a date then.", she agreed.

"But first, let's get this gooseberry out of the way.", the vanguard teased. Hauling the dazed Batarian up to his feet by the collar, Colburn wrapped his hand around his neck. "Where are the humans?"

"What humans?"

Connecting a purple-encased fist with his four-eyed face, Colburn threw Qabak back onto the ground, and placed a heavy black boot atop his chestplate. "I won't ask again."

"Better listen to him. He enjoys violence.", she goaded.

Qabak remained silent.

"Fine, play it your way. Hanson, flip through those datapads. See if you can find anything."

"On it."

"Meanwhile, let's find out what uses Batarian skin has, shall we?"

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_Desmont_

"You see anything, Napier?"

"Nope."

The past half hour had been uneventful, and somehow ominously quiet. Apart from the sound of croaking insects, it was virtually silent. Of course, that was aside from Napier's grumbling.

"I bloody hate the forest."

"Figured as much. You're pretty much a concrete kid, aren't you? Growing up in London and all that?"

"All the way. We don't have such woodland over there. God, I miss home. The food especially. I could do with some bangers and mash right now. And yorkshire pudding too."

"Easy there, _mon ami_. We've got two months of leave after graduation before returning to active duty. You can take a shuttle back to Earth or something."

"Do you miss the food from France, chief?", the Brit asked. "Like pate and baguettes, wine, stuff like that?"

"_Oui,_ I do. When this is all over, I'll go home straight away and get my hands on some good snails."

Their short-lived friendly chatter was cut short as the sound of a gunshot blasted through their earpieces. Both soldiers immediately turned their heads in the direction of the Batarians, but they looked the same, still sitting around the fire, chatting. The one that walked off had yet to return.

_If it isn't them, that means it..._

"Go! Olsen and the others are in trouble!"


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: Alright, first up, lots of thanks (and love) to, coincidentally, my two fish-and-chips-gorging friends, Armageddon Coconut, and iBayne.**

**Armageddon Coconut- you might just be one of the nicest guys I've ever come across. Thanks for the messages, mate. Hope you're enjoying your wine in France.**

**iBayne- Thanks a lot for the advertising! It really means loads to me! But based on my past experiences, ten out ten people will read the A/N, but only one really checks out what the author's talking about. So, I guess there's probably not going to be any new subscribers. And I have to ask: when you said Colburn here is a lot more badass, does badass mean 'harder to kill'? :P**

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Chapter 24: Trust, lost and gained, part 2.

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-Previously-

_Catherine_

The past half an hour had consisted of nothing but peering through the scope of her Raptor.

"Nothing's going on. I don't like this."

"I know, right? I've been trying to get this bad boy to get us a bird's eye view of the area, but nothing's showing up on the camera. Just static.", Campbell complained.

"Maybe that's because your signal's jammed.". Both sentinel and engineer turned around at ugly voice to find three Batarians with their guns pointed at them. "Surprised? Scared? Humans, stupid and cowardly, as usual."

_Where the fuck is Karl Lenin?_

"If you're smart, you'll tell us where the rest of your weasel friends are.", the middle Batarian spat.

"You'll just feed us to the varren anyway."

"Maybe you're not _that_ dumb, human girl. Yes, we'll still feed you to the beasts, but if you tell us... Maybe we'll be kind enough to kill you first."

In an attempt to change the tide, Catherine tackled the Batarian holding her at gunpoint, and with a burst of biotic energy, threw the other two off their feet. It did not went as planned however, as the Batarian nimbly countered her strike and instead, she fell back onto the ground. Her opponent snarled. Campbell tried to help, but the Batarian gave him a swift uppercut and tossed him onto the ground beside her.

"Foolish humans. You want a hero's death? I'll grant it to you.", was the only thing he said, before pulling the trigger. Thankfully, the sentinel's tech armour activated just in time, and disintegrated in less than a second later as it came into contact with the bullet.

As if on cue, two small, solid metal balls flew over and landed ungraciously at the Batarian's feet. Before they knew it, a burst of bright blue energy exploded in front of them, and the Batarian in question flew up into the sky, limbs dangling limply. A barrage of bullets followed, and the motionless body fell back onto the earth unceremoniously.

Another burst of gunfire signalled the death of his comrades. "You alright?", Desmont asked as he offered a hand towards Catherine.

"Yeah. Thanks, Louis.". She grabbed his hand and hoisted herself up. "I think John needs a little help though. The Batarian bastard got him pretty hard."

"Nah, I'm good. Though I can feel my teeth getting shaky..."

"Don't worry. There's plenty oatmeal on the Capetown.", Napier joked. "But... Where's Lenin? He's supposed to watch your backs."

"That's the damn problem! He just left without a word! Otherwise these idiots wouldn't have gotten the jump on us!"

_Bam! Bam! Bam! _The sound of nonstop gunfire and a loud explosion caught their attention. The four of them quickly turned their heads in the direction of the Batarian camp. It was vastly different compared to what it was mere minutes ago. More than two dozen Batarians clad in blue and white armour were running around, finding cover behind crates and tents. And in the middle was...

"_Karl Lenin_.", Catherine hissed. The adept was launching singularites and setting off biotic explosions. The whole area was a bright blue and purple, tinted with red, orange and white nozzle flashes.

Just then, a burst of static filled their earpieces. "This is Hanson! We have the VIP, but we're caught in the crossfire!"

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_Colburn_

The interrogation had been easy enough. Apparently, the Batarians' worst fear was getting their eyes poked out. Qabak had broken down and caved in almost immediately when Colburn threatened to dig his eyes out and grill them on a skewer.

"Alright, you go on ahead and retrieve the VIP. I can't just walk out without being seen, so I'll stay here and keep a lookout."

"Got it."

Michelle activated her cloak again, and melted into air before him, though the vanguard could vaguely make out the outlines of her silhouette.

It was all going well. The infiltrator had successfully reached and secured their target, and they were planning an escape route when an explosion came from the middle of the whole compound. In less than a second, there were screams and shrieks, accompanied by the loud noise of rifles and pistols firing.

Colburn saw two Batarians, amongst the chaos, approach the particular tent where approximately fifty human civilians were cramped in. _They must be there to secure the prisoners. Damn it, now what do I do?_ He couldn't just charge into them straight up. He would have a hundred holes in his body from about two dozen guns before killing them. _Think, Colburn, think. _Turning back to a still-unconscious Qabak, he took two cluster grenades from the Batarian's grenade belt.

"Heads up! Fire in the hole!", he warned, as he threw one at the running duo. The both of them were blown off their feet and went sailing through the air, right into a tree. He then tossed the remaining grenade at a totally different direction to create ever more chaos. In such situations, they had to use confusion and distraction to their advantage.

Seizing the short window of opportunity, Colburn took advantage of the enhanced havoc and simply allowed biotic energy to encase his body, and immediately found himself beside the crouched figures of Michelle and two men. "These are the people we're looking for?"

"Yep."

"Give me a sitrep."

"We have about forty six civilians over here. Except for the four of us, no one has any experience with firearms.". Michelle let out a harsh breath. "I've notified Desmont and the rest, but I don't think they'll get here in time. What about these people? We can't just leave them here and die!"

"No, we can't.", he agreed. You know what you have to do, he imagined Tantus telling him.

Then let's just hope I don't become a martyr.

"Okay, listen carefully.", he shouted as another loud explosion incited another deafening series of screaming. He removed his pistol and assault rifle, and handed them over to the two men. "Here's what I need you guy to do: when I go out there later on, I need the three of you to evacuate these civilians to safety. Hanson, get in contact with the Capetown, tell 'em to send us all of their shuttles."

"Are you crazy? Going out there without weapons?", one of the men exclaimed.

"I'll manage.", the vanguard assured. "Besides, you need a distraction, and I'm your best shot.". And yet another hail of bullets interrupted their conversation.

"There's no time to lose! Go, go, go!"


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: Dedicating this chapter to my classmate, HuiXuan! Happy sweet sixteen, chiobu! (Singaporean lingo for pretty girl). This is for you! :D**

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Chapter 25: Trust, lost and gained, part 3.

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_Colburn_

If tearing two mechs apart with nothing but pure biotic energy was difficult, then consecutively charging at enemies scattered across a large area would definitely be a miracle only God could do. _Good thing was, Colburn felt like God._

It was not unlike teleporting himself throughout different corners of the battlefield, knocking Batarians over, narrowly missing bullets, and generally causing mayhem. The vanguard would never admit it, but he was thankful for the presence of Lenin. The adept was lashing out countless singularities and throwing Batarians off their feet with shots of biotic energy, all the while erecting and maintaining a seemingly indestructible biotic barrier around himself.

Occasionally, Colburn would dare himself to look in the direction of Michelle. Instead of thinking of themselves, their VIPs were focused only on the evacuating of the civilians. _Maybe they're really worth saving_. But as heartening the sight was, the intense usage of biotics was starting to take its toll on him. He was finding it increasingly harder by the second to concentrate. _Snap out of it, Miles. You didn't go through all that Red Sand for nothing._

_Oh great, since when did I start addressing myself with my first name?_

_Must be the hunger, _he answered to himself. _Gotta get some chow when I get back._

_Stop it, Colburn! You're getting delirious!_

"Heads up!". A loud yell pulled him from his internal conversation with himself. Almost instantly, he found himself on the ground, temporarily blinded, able to see nothing but white, with that annoying buzzing in his ears.

A long string of gunfire only served to amplify the painful ringing, threatening to burst his ear drums. _What the fuck are they doing? My ears are gonna bleed._

After what could be five minutes, five hours, or maybe even five days, he felt the surroundings turn silent. Slowly, he opened his eyes, squinting at the slight pain. Well, at least I can still see. A pair of legs clad black metal greeted his eyes. He looked up to find Napier extending a gauntleted hand.

"You gonna stay there all century long, mate?"

The vanguard grabbed it and hoisted himself up. "Next time you're going to throw a fucking flashbang, _kindly_ give me a warning.", he growled.

"Well, you don't see our kungfu master getting affected.", the soldier replied. The both of them turned their heads towards the Russian Chinese, who looked, well, unscathed. _Not even a single scratch, _he noted. "Can you believe it? He was supposed to stay back, watching Olsen's and Campbell's backs, but he just ran off, gung-ho and all that shit. He very nearly got the both of them killed."

"He _what?_ "

"Easy there, Lieutenant.", the Brit placated. "Chief's got it covered.". He cocked his head towards Desmont, who was approaching the adept, eyes clearly glinting with anger. "You, on the other hand, should probably check in on Hanson.". Napier pointed a thumb towards the infiltrator, who was holstering her weapons.

_Damn it, I forgot about them._ "Thanks pal.". Colburn gave the soldier a pat on the shoulder before lightly jogging towards Michelle. "So, how was it? Any casualties?"

"Nope. We've gotten everyone out safe and sound.". She was smiling brightly, as if she had just came back from a fruitful vacation.

"You know, you're quite the sunshine.", he commented.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"You should.". His eyes searched around. "Where's-"

"Oh, they're on the first shuttle back to the Capetown, along with some of the civilians and our VIPs. The ship's sending all of their shuttles to take turns picking up all of us. It's a large cruiser. I'm sure we'll be able to find space for all of them until we get back to the Citadel."

_Better check on Cath when I get back_. "What about you? Are you okay?", he asked.

"I'm good, thanks for asking. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about that date. You'll get your drinks.", she joked.

"Do I look that hard up for alcohol?"

"Well, when you're friends with an alcoholic...". Michelle slightly tilted her head towards the direction of Napier. "You can't really expect to be alcohol-free, can you?"

"Hey, I heard that! That's so not true, Hanson!"

They all laughed out loud at the red head's reaction.

"Yeah.", Colburn admitted to Michelle. "Maybe you're right."


	26. Chapter 26

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Chapter 26: Trust, lost and gained, part 4.

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-SSV Capetown, en route to Citadel-

_Napier_

As far as the Brit was concerned, the Mess Hall was no different from the war zone on Watson.

"Do you have _any idea _what could've happened when you just left without a word? The both of them could've died without knowing what hit them!", Desmont shouted.

"But they're still here, alive and kicking, aren't they?", Lenin retorted. "Since they're still here breathing, then it's end of story. Stop harping on it and bitching like a whore!"

"You defied my direct order, and showed no signs of remorse! I can report you for insubordination and reckless behaviour!"

"Then do it! What are you waiting for?", the Chinese challenged. "Oh, you'd love to see me decommissioned, don't you?"

"I'm giving you a second chance! Apologise to them, and promise not to do that again, and I'll let the matter slide!"

"No way in Hell I'm doing that! I'm not your dog, and I've never done anything wrong!". The French pulled his arm back for a punch, but Campbell immediately stood up to restrain him. "You're just the _temporary_ leader for _one_ mission, don't get over your head.", Lenin spat. "And _you,_", he said with much distaste. "all of you are just a bunch of incompetent fools! It's beneath me to continue talking with such vermin!"

The six of them watched in silence as the adept stormed off. Thankfully, the Capetown's crew were either busy attending to the civilians who were temporarily allocated to the cargo deck, while some were working their shifts and others were snoring away in the Crew's Quarters, so there was no one else to witness the ugly exchange.

"Hmph.", Napier scoffed. "As if all the discrimination by the 'superior marines' on this freaking cruiser isn't enough already.", he said sarcastically. "These good-for-nothing ground soldiers, only here to take up space on our ship.", he mimicked one of the more obnoxious crew, but stopped when he saw Catherine glare at him. "No offense.", Napier quickly added.

"So, what now? Are we going to just alienate him from the rest of us? I don't think it's very nice.", Michelle queried.

"Well, even if we do, it can't possibly go on forever, right? He's still part of our team after all. And if he fails, it means that everyone in our squad goes home empty handed. We went through Hell to get to here and I'm not going to risk it just because of some idiot.", Catherine stated.

"_Oui,_ I agree. I guess the only way is to pray that idiot stays smart enough to not drag all of us for something stupid he did."

"Hey, where's Cole gone to?", Campbell questioned.

_That's funny. He was here just awhile ago._

"I'll go get him.", the sentinel announced unceremoniously before getting up from her seat.

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-Observation deck-

_Colburn_

_Could it be that he's..._

_No, he couldn't. Right?_

_But-_

"There you are! I searched all over for you.", Catherine said as she plopped down on the couch beside him. "You know, I never would've expected you to be the kind to just stare into space _literally._"

"Well then, there's probably a lot more you don't know about me. We've been living under the same roof since we were kids, and yet you still don't know what I like or don't like.". He gave her an expression of mock hurt.

"Well then, I'll prove you wrong. I know what's on your mind, or at least I think I do..."

"Spill."

"Okay. You're thinking that dear Karl might be...". She trailed off mid-sentence, before mouthing: _under your dad._

"Not bad.", he conceded.

"Don't you think that might just be a little too far-fetched, Sherlock Holmes?"

"Hey, if he could even trace me all the way to college, I don't see why not. I'm not going to take my chances.", the vanguard warned.

"Well, if he'd wanted to kill you, he probably would've taken action already.", Catherine countered.

"Sure, but..."


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: So I just did this super-long FAQ on myself, Colburn, and basically how this whole Colburn thing started. It's on my tumblr. Contains mentions of iBayne, Armageddon Coconut, Carleen, and KatieK98.**

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Chapter 27: Sparked interests.

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-Citadel, Flux-

_Colburn_

"So, have you made up your mind?", Michelle asked.

"I don't know... That bottle of fifty-years-old cognac seems tempting...". The infiltrator's eyes widened at the mention of the extremely expensive liquor. "Relax, I was just kidding!". Colburn couldn't resist a grin when he saw her previously nervous expression fade. "I'll have a beer.", he told the bartender.

"You know, you nearly got me worried for a second.", she remarked with a good natured smile.

"Heh. Don't fret it. I ain't that cruel.". They took a moment to sip their beers. "So,", he asked. "Where are you from?"

"Born and raised in Toronto.", she said proudly.

"Canadian huh? That's something new."

"What about you?"

"Well...". Colburn decided against making something up. "My family's from the States, but I was born in Florence, Italy. Spent a couple of years of my childhood there, before we moved back to San Francisco again."

"Do you know how to make a pizza and speak Italian or something?", she joked.

"A little, but I've forgotten most of it. Haven't used it since I was six. I do know how to make a mean pizza though, but we usually order them because we're just too plain lazy."

She pouted. "That's a pity. I'd thought I could tag along when you visit a deli sometime on. You know, those Italian deli owners usually save the nicer ones for those from 'back home'."

"Sorry, ma'am, but I guess you're barking up the wrong tree. I'm having a pretty hard time learning basic French from Desmont right now."

She smiled good-naturedly before taking a large gulp of her beer. "You know, you're actually a funny guy."

"Well, if you find Napier funny, then I guess everyone's a comedian.". Then, he added, "But not for nothing, I realised that you don't seem to get angry, do you? I mean, after what that Karl guy did, Napier's stupid jokes, _everything._ It's like you don't have a temper."

"My dad's always taught me to forgive and forget. People might be the biggest jerks in the world, but there's really no reason to act the same way as them, right?"

"And that brings me to my next point: you never say anything rude, not even like 'crap' or 'damn'. You're one of those 'perfect students' when you were in school, weren't you? The kind that ace their exams, hand in all their homework on time, never break a single rule, good looking... Basically the ideal person."

"You're not the first to say it, and certainly won't be the last. And I take it that you were the exact opposite?"

"I guess you can say that..."

A beep of Michelle's Omni-tool interrupted their pleasant conversation. "Excuse me for a minute.", she said as she hopped off the stool. "I have to take this call."

"Sure. Take your time."

Colburn watched as his companion's relaxed demeanour suddenly tense. She cut the call, and returned with an anxious expression. "I need a ride to Huerta Memorial Hospital.". He sensed the slight quiver in her voice.

Without hesitation, he brought up his own Omni-tool and paid the bill.

"Come on. Let's go."


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: Just arrived home from the best school celebration everrr! Took a lot of photos with a lot of chiobus! :D And don't be sad, Anna. I want you, okay? :P**

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Chapter 28: Knowledge.

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_Michelle_

The infiltrator had practically hopped off the car and ran towards the elevator as soon as the skycar landed. _Please tell me he's okay._ Colburn was only a few steps behind, silently following. _Please._

As soon as the elevator's door opened, she dashed to the ward she had gone to too frequent for comfort. She only stopped short in front of the door, hand raised, hovering in front of the console, mind struggling if she should open it. Michelle was scared. _Terrified,_ of seeing what she dreaded the most. _No. He needs me._ Taking a deep breath, her fingers lightly tapped the holographic console. The door opened to reveal two doctors and four nurses trying to restrain a patient to his bed.

That face.

_The face that, a long long time ago, showed nothing but a wide beam. Those honey-brown eyes that never failed to glimmer with tender concern. The crinkling around them whenever he flashed that irresistible smile. But now, those eyes were crazed, the smile now replaced with the constant shouts of 'let me go's. The lips, nose, eyes, they were the same, but seemed vastly different to those two years ago._

Those eyes found her.

"Michelle! Michelle!", that heart-breaking voice screamed. "You have to get me out of here! They're trying to kill us!". The tears that she had been fighting back retaliated and slid down her cheeks, marking small little streams in their wake. "What are you doing, standing there? Kill them!"

Just as she had done for the previous countless hundred times, she walked up and cupped his face. In her most calming voice, she soothed, "It's okay, Michael. They're just here to help you. They're good people. The bad guys are gone."

"But- but I saw them grabbing knives! They're assassins! They're here to kill us all!". His eyes darted up and down, left and right, searching for an escape route.

"Michael...", she pleaded. "Look at me.". He didn't responding, eyes still looking frantically around. "_Michael, look at me!_ ", she whispered sternly and harshly. Finally, his gaze returned to her. "They're doctors. This is a hospital. They're here to make you get better, okay?"

"A- a hospital?". She nodded. "I- I remember now. I was injured during a mission. My team sent me here...?", he asked uncertainly.

"Yes, yes that's it."

Michael suddenly seemed to drift off, before suddenly snapping back again. For a moment, she thought she saw him again. _The old him_. "Michelle... Why- why are you crying?". But the ghost disappeared as quickly as it arrived. "Who's bullying you now? Tell me, alright? Big brother's going to teach them a lesson when they mess with my sister!", he exclaimed boyishly, just like he did when they were still schooling.

She blinked back another surge of tears that threatened to escape her eyes and simply shook her head. "No one's bullying me, Michael.", she assured. "They know you're my big bro. They won't hurt me ever again.". Gently, she pushed him back down onto bed. "Just go to sleep, okay? Everything's going to be alright..."

She continued to talk to him as one of the doctors took the opportunity to sedate him. Finally, he drifted off to sleep.

"Thank you, Miss Hanson. We couldn't have solved this without you."

She gave a weak smile in return. "Let me know if anything else pops out."

"Will do."

As she turned to leave, her eyes met Colburn's, who had been standing by the door all that while.

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_Colburn_

"Here, take it."

"Thanks.", Michelle said as she accepted the cup of coffee.

"What happened to your brother? How'd he end up like that?", Colburn asked.

She pursed her lips before answering. "Michael used to be in the Alliance, where he was assigned as a spec-op field operator. Two years ago, he went to serve on Torfan. You should know what happened on that planet."

"Yeah, it was all on the news.", he admitted. "The Alliance wanted to take revenge for the Skyllian Blitz. And so they sent troops to Torfan to wipe out the Batarians. Almost five hundred marines died on that planet."

"I still don't know whether it's a good or bad thing he survived. When he came home, he just... wasn't the same anymore. Day after day, his sanity decreased. He started pointing his gun at anyone that walked past. Every night, he would have nightmares of the Batarians coming to seek revenge. We had no choice but to send him here."

"Where are your parents?"

"They're back on Earth, with my younger brother, Mark. We've got a small business running after moving to Montreal a couple of years ago. They'd come to visit Michael for a few days once a month. I come to the Citadel whenever I get shore leave."

"I see.". He hurriedly took out a tissue and offered it to her when tears started to well up in her eyes again.

"Thanks."

"Sure.". Now it was his turn to think of something else to say. "Truth be told, I don't think anyone would ever find out about this until tonight. I think you'd score a lead in that upcoming Blasto movie", he joked.

She give a weak, but genuine smile. "Thanks, but I'm fine, really. It's just that seeing him like that tears me apart every time. He had always been there for me and Mark. He was even considered for a promotion to Lieutenant Commander, and he got engaged too. But Torfan just had to happen."

"His fiancee left him?", he asked.

"No. She stuck by him. She even took half a year off work to take care of him wholeheartedly, but Michael's condition just got worse. She couldn't take it, and we don't blame. She just married a lawyer in July, but still visits him every time she's free."

"So how have you been coping with all this? I can only imagine the stress, while keeping it under wraps from everyone else."

"I thought I'd get used it as time went by, but I was wrong.". Michelle took a sip of her now-lukewarm warm coffee, and she frowned. "Are you sure this didn't come from some Alliance kitchen?"

_Well, at least she's making jokes now. _"You can't expect too much from something that came out of a machine, can you?", he asked. "Next shore leave we get, I'll bring you to this great coffee place. It's called 'Caffeine Paradise'. How about that?", he offered.

"Sure thing, but no snatching the bill next time. I should've been the one paying tonight, but it was you who ended up forking out the credits."

"Hey, it's just two beers, how much can it cost anyway? But if you're buying, I'm going to order that brandy for real.", he warned. She laughed. "Come on.". He stood up and offered her a hand. "It's late. We should get going."

She accepted it and they began walking towards the elevator. "Hey, Cole..."

He turned around to meet her. "Yeah?"

"Can you keep tonight a secret?"

"Don't worry. My lips are sealed."


	29. I'm back

**A/N: Okay. First things first. I want to apologise to you guys for just disappearing for two weeks. Much has happened over these fourteen days, and it has caused me to previously decide to give up writing. In fact, if you've read my tumblr, you should very well know I was serious about it. But of course, a few smart-enough friends have told me not to, or else they would never get to see the ending (one even said 'fuck you', but that's another story.).**

**But let's not get into too much detail. Now, I proudly present to you chapter 29. Just a note though, updates will be a lot more irregular and less frequent.**

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Chapter 29: Cold treatment.

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-Mindoir, November 2180-

_Colburn_

The weather was cold, to say the least. The farming colony - or rather, _ex-_farming colony - was sight for sore eyes, especially so in the winter. Destroyed buildings and collapsed structures decorated the white, desolate landscape. The biting wind was less than friendly, but that didn't stop the vanguard and the rest of the N6s to open their eyes widely, on the lookout for possible hostiles.

"God, this place gives me the creeps.", Michelle remarked.

"Yeah, no kidding. Look at this...", Catherine added. "The whole area... _It's a ghost town._ There's no one around. Not a single soul in sight."

"We're probably the first to step foot on this planet in years...", Desmont noted.

"And you people find it surprising?", Karl Lenin retorted. "When those Batarian bastards raided this colony in 2170, they slaughtered thousands and enslaved everyone else. You don't really think they'd leave a couple of men and women behind to repopulate the place, _do you?_ "

Everyone remained silent as they let the cheerful statement hang in the air. The scars left by the Skyllian Blitz was still fresh, even though it had already been ten years since the horrifying attack ended. Colburn could imagine the countless nameless dead bodies litter the ground in piles.

"_I knew it..._ I'm always put in charge of missions at haunted places...", Colburn heard Napier mutter to himself.

The vanguard gave the soldier an assuring pat on the shoulder. "Attaboy, buddy..."

The squad of seven, weapons in hand, continued their patrol.

"What do you think the Alliance is expecting to happen here?", Campbell asked aloud. "I mean, it's been abandoned for so long, we're probably the only signs of life on this planet..."

"Whatever it is, there must be a good reason. Because sending a squad of N6s to an unpopulated colony is nothing but a waste of time and resources.", the French replied.

"Hey guys!", Catherine shouted. "I think Mr Grumpy's onto something!". The sentinel pointed a finger at Lenin, who was approaching a frost-covered building.

Five pairs of eyes turned towards the Briton.

"Alright, let's go.", Napier said. "This better be good..."


	30. Chapter 30

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Chapter 30: Someone's at home.

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_Campbell_

"Look at all this...", the engineer commented as his eyes scanned the inner floors of the building. "What do you think they are?". He nudged a piece of scrap metal with a boot.

"Looks like farming equipment.", Desmont said. "_Destroyed_ farming equipment."

"No surprise. Mindoir was a farming colony. Bet they had machines all over the place just to harvest wheat.", Colburn added.

"And yet they had practically _nothing_ to defend themselves when those abominations hit.", Lenin said bitterly.

_Sheesh. What's with that guy?_

The squad continued on in silence, taking note of the untouched metal crates and suspicious red patches on the walls quietly. As horrible as the atrocities committed here were, it was nonetheless fascinating to Campbell. As perverse as it sounded, the sight was like a history field trip to the engineer.

"Alright, looks like there's nothing down here.", Napier announced. "We'll split into groups. I'll go with Hanson. Olsen will go with Colburn. Desmont, Campbell and Lenin, you three stay together. Scout the whole area. See anything, speak up. Understood?"

Five 'aye aye's came forth, but of course, there just _had_ to be one going against the crowd.

"I work alone.", was the only thing their resident adept said before leaving.

Desmont shook his head in disappointment. "Come on, let's get moving."

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_Catherine_

Weapons in hand, vanguard and sentinel walked side-by-side in silence. The only noise made was the crunching of boots on snow and gravel.

"You know,", Catherine said. "that Lenin guy needs to drop the whole macho act. Going lone wolf is so passe.". She continued on. "What point is he trying to prove anyway? That Asians are on par with us? If that's so, then he's _really_ stuck in the past. We're already past that phase since a million years ago. Hey! Are you listening to me?"

Colburn gave a small smile. "What do you want me to say? Besides, even if I _did_ say something, you wouldn't be able to hear it anyway."

She arched an eyebrow. "And why is that?"

"Well, for starters, you were louder than a thresher maw on steroids."

"That's a lie."

"I know, I know. The truth hurts. Poor Cath can't take the harsh reality."

The sentinel glared at her companion. "You _do know_ that I have a submachine gun in my hands right now."

"And I have an _assault rifle_."

"I have another sniper rifle on my back, along with tech _and_ biotics."

"Oh fine. You win. Happy now?"

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_Desmont_

The French was _not_ happy at all.

"Hey Louis, you okay?", Campbell asked.

"I'm alright."

"You know, you don't really have to bother about Lenin. The guy's a loner, but maybe that's better. At least he won't get us into trouble. As far as I'm concerned, we're better off _without_ him watching our backs."

"We'll see."

The duo trudged on quietly, making tracks in the thick layer of snow.

They were passing by another abandoned building, when a sudden shine of light caught the soldier's eye.

"You see that?", Desmont asked.

"No...", the sentinel replied. "Something wrong?"

"I saw light inside the place. It might just be my eyes playing tricks, but it wouldn't hurt to check it out, right?"

The engineer brought up his Tempest. "I've got your back."

As quietly as possible, the pair made their way to the entrance. Fingers tightly gripping the Avenger, the French entered the building, preparing to see anything from scavengers to Batarian pirates.

But there was nothing.

_This is wierd. I'm sure I saw something down here._

"Let's search the place. Maybe we'll find something.", Campbell said.

_Beep. Beep._

"_Wait._ You hear that?"

_Beep. Beep._

Both men exchanged glances. Cautiously, they moved towards the source of the incessant beeping. It was getting louder, and more urgent. They followed the sound...

To a frost covered steel crate.

Lightly, the soldier brushed off the layer of ice.

They found themselves staring at a timer.

00:15

_Beep._

00:14

_Beep_

"Run for it!"


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: Found the time to do this because it's a holiday tomorrow and Friday. Why? Because 9 August is National Day! I don't have much love for this presently-propaganda-filled nation due to the reigning government, but I absolutely adore the holidays...**

**That said, my parents have, without asking, filled up my rare free days with lessons, so to Hell with them and my preplanned writing marathon...**

**Also, I haven't played ME3 for almost a month, and only found out about the awesome N7: Earth DLC. I fell in love with the Paladin... And the new classes have inspired me to make some... _changes_ to our dear beloved N6s... You'll see in due course... *Evil laughter***

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Chapter 31: Housewarming party.

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_Michelle_

_Unknown assailant, check. Explosion, check. Raining bullets, check. Freezing wind, check. Injured teammates, check._

_Today is not a good day, _the infiltrator concluded.

"Come on John, talk to me!". Michelle slapped Campbell's face lightly for good measure. She slapped him harder again.

No response.

"He's not responding!"

"Get him away from here as far as possible!", Napier commanded. "Desmont, give her a hand!"

"Aye aye!"

The soldier dived out of cover and rolled to the infiltrator's side. He hoisted Campbell's limp body onto his shoulder. "I'll take him! Cover me!", he ordered before taking off.

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_Napier_

Now that their injured squadmate was out of the way, the remaining trio could finally concentrate on the more dire task at hand.

"Olsen, I need a lock of Lenin's position! Where in the bloody Hell is that asshole?"

"I- I don't know!", the sentinel replied, the orange glow of her Omni-tool bathing her features and highlighting the confusion and frustration on her face. "I think he's turned off his tracer!"

_Bloody bollocks!_

The vanguard hunched over beside him winced as another hail of raging rounds dangerously zipped past his head. "We can worry about him later! _If_ we can get out of here alive. So what's the plan?"

"Bring the whole place down?", Catherine suggested. "It's not going to hold much longer anyway! For all we know, the roof's going to drop and bury everyone! Might as well use it against them!"

"Agreed, better them than us! I can get us out of here. The exit's a straight dash through.", Colburn concurred.

_Oh, what the Hell._

"Alright, on my mark!". Napier took out two fragmentation grenades out of his grenade belt while the sentinel similarly retrieved two of her lift grenades. "Go!". The both of them tossed their grenades in unison and almost immediately, the soldier felt a great force wrap around the both of them and propel them towards the exit.

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_Desmont_

"Capetown, this is Lieutenant Louis Desmont! Do you copy?"

"This is SSV Capetown, we read you Desmont."

"We need a medevac asap! Lieutenant Campbell is incapacitated!"

"Roger that, Desmont. Medevac is on its way. Standby for further notice."

"Just hurry...", the soldier muttered as he turned off his comm. Desmont turned towards Michelle, who was still checking Campbell. "How is he?"

"He's got a pulse, so that's a good thing. I don't see any superficial wounds, so he's most probably just got a concussion..."

"Help is on the way. We just have to hang tight."

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-SSV Capetown, starboard observation deck-

_Colburn_

"Oh, and so then he just conveniently pops up right before we board the shuttle and acts as if he just went for a stroll in the park? Is he some kind of voodoo wizard?", Catherine complained animatedly. "Now John's knocked out and God knows what's going on while that idiot walks?"

"Something fishy's going on.", Colburn noted.

"Oh, _you bet your ass _something fishy's going on.", she hissed. "This is definitely going to the higher ups.". The sentinel stood up, but was promptly pulled back down to her seat by the vanguard. "_What?_ ", she exclaimed rather defensively. "The last time, was _the last time_. This guy is going down!"

"Pipe down, will you? You're lucky there's no one else in here!", he chided. "Besides, reporting him without any concrete evidence is like digging your own grave! You've heard what Louis said about this Karl guy. You want nineteen months of Hell to just go down the drain?"

She let out a harsh breath. "Then what are you planning to do?"

Activating his Omni-tool, Colburn punched in buttons on the orange holographic console on his arm. They waited for a few moments before the other party picked up the call. Catherine's eyes sparkled with amusement when she saw the friendly face staring back at her through the screen.

"Colburn?"

"Hey Tantus.", the vanguard greeted with a smile.

"I need you to pull somebody's file for me."


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N: You guys don't know this, but the computer's off limits until my O levels are over, which really sucks to the max. So, I won't be able to download the N7: Earth DLC, let alone play it. But I have watched walkthroughs the six new characters, which really blew my mind away, especially the Slayer and Paladin. I'm going to churn out a review on the DLC right after I finish this. Be sure to check out my tumblr a couple of hours later.**

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Chapter 32: Old foes, new enemies.

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-Citadel, Human Embassy-

_Napier_

The six candidates surrounded the vidcomm, watching the blue holographic form of their superior talk.

"So, a bunch of unknown assailants attacked you on Mindoir and they were human. Is that correct?"

"Affirmative, sir. Lieutenant John Campbell is currently receiving treatment at Huerta Memorial Hospital.", Napier confirmed.

The N7 instructor nodded in acknowledgement. "Have you managed to ID your mysterious assailants?"

"Not yet, Commander Stone. We haven't found any mercenary group that dons yellow and white armour-"

"_Wait._", the Staff Commander interrupted. "Did you say _yellow and white armour? _"

"Yes, sir.", he replied, tone puzzled.

"This is bad.", Stone said simply. "Give me a moment.". The link disconnected and the blue holographic form promptly vanished. The N6s merely stood in silence, until the comm blinked again, signalling a call. Catherine tapped a few buttons on the console, and their instructor appeared in front of them again.

"Come back to Earth asap. The higher ups want to meet all six of you in person."

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-Spectre's Terminal-

_Colburn_

"The higher ups want to meet all of you, face-to-face?"

"Yeah. Apparently, white and yellow armour translates to major impending doom."

"Yellow and white armour?", the Turian asked in disbelief. "_Yellow and white armour._", he repeated. "This is serious. Why didn't you mention this before?"

"_Because you didn't ask_.", Colburn retorted. "And who would care about the colour they were wearing anyway?"

"This makes everything much more complicated...", the Turian muttered. "The Alliance is going to have a hard time about this."

"Hmph,", the vanguard scoffed. "tell me about it. When the people in dress blues want to see you, they really mean business.". He paused for a bit. "By the way, how's the file on Karl Lenin coming along?"

"It's still in the works. His information is oddly classified. It's going to take some time."

"Better get it done quick. I don't want anyone else getting a trip to Huerta again."

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-N7 Villa, Rio de Janeiro-

_Michelle_

"I wonder what's so important that the superiors want to see us in person.", the infiltrator whispered to the soldier seated beside her in the conference room. "Sounds bad.". Desmont simply gave a shrug of his shoulders. "You're still worried about Campbell, aren't you?", she noted.

"He's been a good friend of mine, ever since we were young. Now that this happened to him, I don't know how to face his mother... They only have each other left..."

"Come on, big guy. It's not your fault.", she assured. "Besides, we all knew the risks when we signed up for the job. Safety goes out the window every time we put on the armour. Don't blame yourself."

"But he got injured because he pushed me out of the way. If-". The French was cut off by the sound of the conference doors opening.

Two well-groomed gentlemen clad into their perfectly fitted Alliance dress blues entered the room, and all whispers stopped. Michelle could only identify one of them as Admiral Steven Hackett, who was arguably the human with the most military power and political clout. It wasn't difficult to recognise him. The man was a legend among _all_ Alliance soldiers. It wasn't everyday to see someone rise up to the rank of Admiral from the very lowest of ranks.

All six soldiers immediately stood up and snapped a crisp salute.

"At ease, N6s.", Hackett said. Their arms went down, but there was no movement apart from that. "First, I have to lay down the rules. Whatever we say, mention, hear and discuss in this room _will_ stay within these walls. Everything _must_ remain absolutely confidential. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"Very good.". The Admiral and his companion seated themselves and gestured for them to do the same. "This,", he began. "is Captain David Anderson. He's the galaxy's _first_ N7 graduate and is also the one that'll be deciding whether you get that insignia on your chestplate or not."

The Captain gave a not-so-friendly smile.

"But, that is beside the point. Let's get to business-". The Admiral was interrupted by the opening of the doors again. This time, a rather sophisticated-looking man entered, dressed in similar clothing as the previous two. _The difference, _Michelle noticed, was that while Hackett and Anderson had the aura of experienced war veterans, this man looked more at ease sitting behind a desk and plotting conspiracies.

"Oh yes, I almost forgot. N6s, _meet Rear Admiral Gregory Hutcherson._"

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_Catherine_

_Is this some kind of sick joke?_

The sentinel could feel the vanguard, who was sitting beside her, tense.

"Easy there...", she whispered to Colburn. "We've got eight pairs of eyes watching him... He can't do anything funny..."

"_I_ _know_."

"I know that you guys are curious as to why we have called forth the six of you. The thing is, these 'yellow and white' armoured group that you've mentioned isn't any run-of-the-mill and overly aggressive street punks.", Hackett addressed. "_They're Ceberus._"

"Ceberus? That anti-alien, xenophobic, pro-human organisation?", Napier asked.

"That is correct.", Anderson said. "A lot of people have heard of Ceberus, but seeing them - let alone recognise - is another thing altogether. Yellow and white is Ceberus' signature. We haven't heard of any movement from them in years. Now that you've guys have met, and even exchanged gunfire with them..."

"This is serious business. That's why we've called you back to Earth.", Hutcherson added. "Ceberus is a pro-human organisation. By any logic, it would be contradicting for them to fire upon Alliance soldiers without warning."

"_Unless..._", Colburn cut in.

"Unless _what?_ ", the Rear Admiral questioned.

The vanguard stared icily into the eyes of his father. "_Unless, __somebody_ has unknowingly disrupted their plans or got on their bad side. Or maybe, they could even be _working with _Ceberus."

"That still does not justify their attack on a group of _humans._ Besides, the Alliance screens the background of _everyone_ that enlists. We would've known if _anyone_ had _any_ connection or ties with Ceberus."

_But not good enough, _Catherine noted. After all, Miles Colburn wasn't the vanguard's true identity, but yet he could still enter the Alliance without a hitch.

"Ceberus is a _terrorist organisation_. They're the bad guys. They don't have dumb rules and regulations telling them that they're not allowed to shoot whomever.", Colburn countered.

"Whatever's the case,", Hackett interrupted. "the most important thing now is to investigate what the Hell is going on. Therefore, I'm sending you guys back to Mindoir."

Five _'what?'s_ immediately escaped their lips.

"But we still have a squadmate laying at Huerta, sir.", Desmont said.

"I know, but this of utmost importance. Humanity's spot on the galactic political stage is already volatile enough as it is. We cannot afford anymore blows to our reputation. Whatever Ceberus is planning has to be stopped _right here _and _right now_. Is that clear?"

_As if we can say 'no', _Catherine thought sarcastically.

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_Colburn_

Just when he thought things were bad, it upgraded to 'worse'.

Hackett's voice came just as everyone stood to leave at the end of the briefing. "Lieutenant Colburn, Rear Admiral Hutcherson and I would like to have a word with you, please.". Everyone's attention was suddenly fixated on him, except for Lenin, who was long gone. "Everyone else can leave."

Slowly and uncertainly, everyone slowly filed out of the room, with Catherine giving him a light, reassuring squeeze on the arm as she walked past. "I'll be waiting.", she whispered.

In less than a minute, the vast room was empty except for the three of them. "Take your time.", was all Hackett said to the Rear Admiral before leaving.

Colburn waited for the door to close before opening his mouth. "What are you up to? I'm not in the mood for games."

The older man simply took a seat. "What games? I just miss my son, that's all."

"Don't you dare even _try_ to think for a second that you're off the hook. Once I get the evidence, you're as toast as varren bacon."

"And what evidence would you be talking about?", Hutcherson mused.

"You _know_ what I'm talking about.", the Lieutenant hissed.

The Rear Admiral simply smiled. "I'll make you an offer. Drop everything and join me, and it'll be just like old times! You, me, father and son, the pioneers of a new empire!"

"You really think I'm stupid? You've sent mercs after me not once, but _four_ times. Omega, Illium, the Citadel, and even Earth! Why the Hell would I believe that you would offer me something like that?"

A puzzled look surfaced on Hutcherson's face. "Kill you? What are you talking about? Why in the world would I do that?"

"Great acting, but I'm not falling for it. I was the only one who knew about your corruption, and how you eliminated those Alliance investigators. You were afraid that I would expose you, so you decided to kill me."

Unexpectedly, the Rear Admiral slammed his hands on the table. "I'm speaking the truth, Miles. I didn't send them after you. I always wanted to you to join me. I wouldn't do that! The corruption incident... Yes, my integrity was... _compromised..._ But that didn't make me hate you until I wanted you to die. And I didn't kill them! Son, you have to trust me!"

"If you think that's going to make me believe your bullshit of a story, Gregory Hutcherson, _then you're wrong_."

The vanguard stormed towards the door, but stopped in his tracks just before he opened it.

"_I'm taking you down whatever the cost. Brace yourself_."

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_Tantus_

"Your father didn't kill them?"

"That's what he told me, but God knows if that's even _remotely_ the truth. For crying out loud, he fucking cried even front of me when he told me he didn't mean to embezzle the Alliance funds. Look at what's happened."

"But you have to admit, hunting your son down just because he knows something he shouldn't is a over the top. As meaningless as family ties are to Turians, we don't go this far.", the Spectre noted.

Colburn sighed. "Look, I have to go now. Keep me posted on anything new, okay?"

"Will do."

The image on the screen turned to black as the human cut the call. The Turian punched a few buttons on the blue holographic keyboard of his terminal. His mandibles flared in amusement when the screen showed a familiar face.

"Massani."

"Zaeed, it's Tantus. I need you do some scouting for me."


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N: Ya know, I'm kinda surprised that no one commented on the last chapter, considering that it was pretty plot-heavy. It was also my longest one to date. Still feeling bummed that I have to go back to school tomorrow, which is Saturday. Oh well.**

**Ps: I know I've said that I was going to do a review, but I was pretty much overwhelmed after posting 32. So... Oops.**

**Note: TOC stands for Tactical Operations Command.**

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Chapter 33: Diving in again.

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-Shuttle, en route to Mindoir-

"Alright, N6s, listen up.", Staff Commander Stone said. "As you know, this mission is of critical priority, so Captain Anderson and I will personally take charge. We'll be here on the SSV Michigan, monitoring the whole operation. This time, you'll split into two teams. Colburn, Hanson and Lenin will form Alpha, while Olsen, Napier and Desmont will form Bravo."

"Aye aye!"

"This is critical, soldiers. We're not leaving until the we get answers, understand?"

"Yes sir!"

As the shuttle touched down on the frozen grounds of Mindoir, everyone stood up from their seats, ready for action.

"Good luck.", Anderson added.

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_Colburn_

"Okay, fellas, so what's the plan?", Catherine asked as the shuttle left.

"The map shows an encrypted signal coming from about four miles away at two o'clock, and a hotspot from the northwest. How about Alpha check out the heat signature, while Bravo goes for the signal?", Michelle suggested.

"Sounds like a plan.", Desmont said.

Napier activated the incendiary ammunition mod of his Avenger. "Alright, let's move."

Going their separate ways, it wasn't long before Colburn found himself trudging in the snow alongside Michelle, while Lenin was by himself, just a few feet ahead.

"So, how's your brother? Did you go to Huerta when we were at the Citadel?", he asked.

She wistfully shook her head. "No... I was planning to visit him after the briefing with Stone, but it sort of went out of the window when he said we had to go back to Earth asap."

"Hey, don't worry about it. Maybe you can apply for a few days of shore leave after this whole fiasco ends."

"Yeah, you're right."

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_Catherine_

"Okay, this place is _really_ big.". The sentinel gave a soft whistle. "TOC, this is Bravo. We've found the source of the signal, and it looks like a science facility of sorts. Please advice."

"Proceed with caution. We need information on what exactly Ceberus is doing on Mindoir."

"Aye aye.", she replied. Catherine turned to Napier and Desmont. "So, what do we do, guys?"

"Michelle's not here, so sneaking in's not an option... We can't fly either...", Napier commented.

She rolled her eyes. "_Not helping._"

"So I guess the only option is bang and clear?", the French prompted.

"Bang and clear.", she agreed.

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-Spectre's Terminal, Citadel-

_Tantus_

"Apologies, General Bexcal, but we couldn't get the file you requested. Once we managed to hack through security, a self-delete protocol just kicked in. Everything was erased before we could stop it. I'm sorry."

"It's alright.". A blinking green light signalled another incoming call. "Nevertheless, thank you for your help. We'll keep in touch.". He cut the call and answered the other. "Zaeed, how did your little scouting go?"

The bounty hunter chuckled. "Well, you're in luck. I let out rumours that your little boy was here on Omega, just like you said. True enough, group of baffoons came looking for the kid."

"And?"

"They said they didn't know anything. All they knew was some bloke paid them to do it. Said the name was Paul Johnson. The thing is, the only Paul Johnson on Omega is working for Aria _and_ fucking her daughter at the same time."

"_Aria T'Loak?_ The Asari running the show on Omega?", Tantus questioned.

"Yep.", Zaeed affirmed. "The one and only. I've dug up some dirt on the man. Turns out his real name is Paul Grayson. And Paul Grayson's got connections with Ceberus."

Ceberus?

"Zaeed, do me a favour, would you?"

Tantus saw the human sigh. "If only I had a bloody dubloon for every time I did..."

"Pay this man a visit and grab a cup of coffee with him."

"Alright...", Zaeed relented. "I'll go see him tomorrow."

"_Not tomorrow. Now._"

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_Michelle_

"This can't be possible... The heat signature's right here!", the infiltrator exclaimed.

Odd was one thing, but wrong on all levels was another. The trio had followed the directions on their Omni-tools, right to the very spot they were currently standing on. The problem was that they weren't in the secret laboratory they had been expecting, but instead, an old abandoned warehouse.

"There's nothing here. We should move on.", Lenin said. "We're wasting time. We should go look somewhere else."

"Not so fast.", Colburn said. "The Omni-tool won't lie. Something wierd is going on and it's our job to investigate. You want to bail out, fine, but neither of us is going to answer to Stone and Anderson for you."

The adept scowled, but didn't say anything else.

Michelle walked along the confines of the walls again, scrutinising the dusty tiles on the floor for any anomaly. She sighed in frustration. "If the heat's not up top, then it's coming from below. But I just can't find anything! No switch, no pressure sensors, _nothing._"

"Well then, maybe we've been looking in the wrong place. Maybe it's outside.", Colburn suggested.

"This is going nowhere.", Lenin remarked cynically. "We're making zero headway."

"_Maybe if you helped_, we would make headway!", the vanguard retorted.

Michelle placed a hand on Colburn's shoulder. "Come on, let's head outside."

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_Napier_

The past few minutes had caused the British soldier to realise that proactively seeking hostility, braving bullets and barging into the facility through the main door was the easy part. Trying to get into the main chamber of the whole God damned building while trying to stay alive was the main course.

"Flash and bang? Really? So much for a plan! Which part of 'proceed with caution' did you two not understand!", he shouted.

"Too late to chicken out now, _mon ami!_ "

"Less talking, more shooting!", Catherine hollered back.

"Maybe I will! If my face doesn't get shot off the moment I stick it out of cover!"

_That's it. After this shit ends, it's going to be just me, the sunny beach, and a group of hot babes._

**A/N: Alright, I know this is really short, but this is all I've managed to churn out over the spare time I've had for the past THREE days. Now you know how busy I am. But the next chapter's tense, I'm telling you! Leave a review, okay!**

**Anyway, just a little extra info for non-ME readers. Aria T'Loak, Paul Grayson, Steven Hackett, David Anderson, Zaeed Massani and the organisation Ceberus, are all canon, official characters from BioWare! Check them out to know better about future references!**

**Edit: It's Sunday 10pm now. Lol.**


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N: Sorry for disappearing for more than a week. I'm having my exams right now, so this'll have to do until they're over.**

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Chapter 34: Exposed.

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-Omega-

_Zaeed_

"So, Paulie... Why don't you tell papa Massani here why you sent mercs after Miles Colburn.". Paul Grayson merely shook his head, mouth clamped tight. "Sorry, mate. Wrong answer.". Zaeed slammed the man's head into the steel wall. Paul Grayson groaned as a small trail of blood trickled down his forehead.

"Physical torture...", Grayson croaked. "No use..."

"Oh, don't you worry, Grayson. I've got more up my sleeves.". The ex-mercenary hoisted the other man up his feet and wrapped his hands around Grayson's neck. "I'm not feeling like myself today, so I'll give you a second chance.". Zaeed loosened his grip just a little bit. "_Why?_ "

Grayson continued to shake his head.

"I know you're not afraid of physical torture, my friend. But I'm pretty darned curious how'd you feel when I cripple you, drop you in front of Aria, and tell the bitch that you're an agent for Ceberus."

Grayson's eyes widened in horror at the threat.

"Oh, and remind me: you're sleeping with her daughter too, aren't you?". The bounty hunter chuckled. "It isn't everyday that someone fucks with Aria _and_ her daughter."

"You-"

"You know what Aria does to people who betray her, don't you?", Zaeed threatened. "I don't. But I've got enough brain cells to imagine."

"I was only following orders! I don't even know who the chap is!", Grayson blurted out. "I swear!"

"_Who?_ "

"K- Kai Leng!"

_"Not good enough._", the bounty hunter prompted.

"The Illusive Man's right hand man! He threatened to tell Aria everything if I didn't do it!"

Zaeed growled for a moment, before dropping the other man on the ground. He pressed a finger to his ear. "Tantus, did you catch all that?"

"As clear as crystal."

"Now what?"

"Now we intervene."

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_Catherine_

"How's the upload going?", Napier asked, voice just barely audible over the deafening gunfire.

"I just need a few more minutes!", the sentinel hollered back, fingers flying over the glowing console.

"Better make it quick!", Desmont shouted, embedding two bullets into the helmet of another Ceberus soldier. "I don't think we can hold out much longer!"

_Come on... Ninety-eight percent..._

Catherine winced as a few bullets shattered one of the numerous monitors beside her.

_Ninety-nine... Hurry up, God damn it!_

She felt a black figure tackle her to the ground just as the upload completed. "Watch out!"

Another hail of rounds passed through the spot she had just been occupying less than thirty seconds ago and shattered the screen she had just been staring at.

"Thanks.", she muttered as she lifted herself off Napier.

"Don't mention it.", the soldier replied. "But I wouldn't mind if you decide to repay me by shooting some of these racist bastards!"

The sentinel threw two of her lift grenades and tossed them as far as she could. Her lips curled into a smile as she heard the groans and screams of pain as the grenades detonated.

"I don't like this...", Desmont said.

"It's not exactly a vacation for us either!", the British soldier retorted.

"No, Louis is right.", Catherine supported. "It's as if they were expecting us. They knew we were coming."

"How?", Napier asked. "This operation was classified."

"I think the more appropriate question would be _'who'_."

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-Citadel, Spectre's terminal-

_Tantus_

"With all due respect, General, this is an Alliance covert op. I don't know how you knew about this, or if you're a Spectre or not, but I am _not _going to just simply give you access to our comm link."

"Captain Anderson, I understand this is abrupt and feels nonsensical, but you have to let me through. If you don't, I'm afraid you'll live to regret the consequences."

"What consequences?", the human asked.

The Turian could imagine the scowl on Anderson's face. "Consequences you will never be able to live with, nor take responsibility for."

"Why don't you let me decide with regards to that matter?"

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_Colburn_

"Maybe the entrance isn't here... Maybe it's somewhere else...", Michelle said. "There's nothing over here."

"Oh jolly. Now Mr Lenin can tell us _'I told you so'._"

"Cole..."

"I-"

"Colburn, this is Tantus. Can you hear me?"

_The heck?_

"Hey, erm, Michelle, why don't you go in and tell Mr Grumpy he was right."

"What about you?"

"I'll join you guys in a bit."

"Okay.", the infiltrator said. "Don't take too long."

The vanguard waited until his companion to enter the warehouse before replying to the Spectre.

"What the Hell are you doing on this line?", he whispered harshly. "This is a secure comm link!"

"No time to explain. Colburn, listen very carefully. Len- is Ka- eng. He's- mole fo- us. Elim- hi-"

Colburn frowned at Tantus' static-ridden voice. "You're breaking up. Repeat again!"

Another wave of static flooded his ear, but not before he made out the crux of the whole message.

_Lenin, Kai Leng. Mole for Ceberus._

_Eliminate him._


	35. Chapter 35

**A/N: My exams ended just two days ago, and a lot has happened during this time, and they're ominously good news. I received my results for my Chinese O levels paper, and I got an A1! :D I've also received my chemistry paper. I got an A2, and was just that _one mark _short of an A1. (Grade goes like this, descending order: A1, A2, B3, B4, C5, C6, D7, E8, F9. C6 is a borderline pass.) But I guess that's what you get for not studying and watching Young Justice nonstop instead.**

**This is gonna be a pretty long and rollercoaster-y chapter to make up for the past period of absence. As usual, rate, review, and subscribe!**

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Chapter 35: Betrayal.

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_Catherine_

"Hurry!"

"Jeez, woman! Can't you see we're running?", Napier complained as he and Desmont hopped onto the blue Alliance shuttle.

Catherine rolled her eyes as the engine came back to life. "Hang tight, we're going at full speed. TOC, this is Bravo. We're heading towards Alpha's location right now."

"_No._", came Anderson's curt reply. "Return to the Michigan asap."

"_What?_ That bastard Kai Leng's in there with Michelle and Cole! We can't-"

"_That's an order_.", he commanded. "There's a blizzard coming your way. You have to pull out."

"But-"

"_Now._"

She drew a deep breath and was about to open her mouth to argue with the Captain, until Napier sudden took the second pilot's seat beside her and piped up.

"K-ker-ch. Sorry, Captain Anderson, you're ker-k, can't hear k-ch.". The Briton then quickly switched off the comm, cheeky grin plastered on his face. The grin became wider as he took in the stunned faces of his companions. "What? Blizzards cause static, don't you know that?"

"I hate to say this, but maybe you're useful after all.", the sentinel admitted.

"Hey, red heads aren't dumb, you know. Besides, I always did wanted to do that to one of those pencil-pushers."

"Well, I'll be damned if we're not decommissioned when we get back.", Desmont added.

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_Colburn_

"I can snap her neck right now, and you won't be able to do anything about it."

"Who do you think I am? One of those dopey Alliance pencil-pushers with empty skulls? You don't have the balls to do it."

"Be careful what you wish for.", Kai Leng hissed.

"Why don't you put your money where your mouth is, and then we'll see about that.", Colburn dared. "If you really could do it, you would've done it eons ago."

"You've seen how I've torn mechs and Batarians apart with my bare hands. You're treading on dangerous waters here, Colburn. Don't force me."

_Gotta keep him busy until Cath and the others get here._

"Look, if you want to do it, then do it already. Honestly speaking, my arms are getting tired. So if you're not gonna do anything, I'm just going to sit down and sip tea."

"Idiot. If I wanted to take your lives, I could've done so. The only reason you're still breathing is because The Illusive Man demands it. Otherwise-"

"Otherwise _what?_ You'd try to kill me and get killed yourself instead? _Figures_."

"You can stop the goading, Colburn. I'm not falling for it. I'm not going to move an inch."

"What makes you think I was trying to get you to do that?"

"With my hand at her neck and my gun pointed at you, it's a stalemate. Your biotic charge is a neat party trick, I'll admit, but you're still not bulletproof. One pull of the trigger and you'll be dead."

"But I thought big daddy didn't want me dead?". The vanguard took two defiant steps forward.

"Cole...", Michelle warned.

"Don't worry about it. Loyal dog here won't-"

Before he knew it, Colburn found himself kneeling on the ground, propped on one knee. He winced at the familiar burning sensation in his left thigh.

_Incendiary ammo._

"I might not be able to kill you, but I can still put a bullet in your leg. It's a non-lethal wound, but it sure hurts as Hell, doesn't it?". The adept smirked. "I've told you, your clown tricks don't work on me."

"Maybe that's because he wasn't trying.", a friendly voice announced.

Kai Leng's eyes widened in realisation and attempted to spin around, but his body fell limply to the ground as three bullets found themselves lodged in his body. Michelle's knees buckled, but Desmont caught her in time.

"Fucking Jesus. About time you guys got here. I thought I was going to have to do a dinner-and-dance with him!", Colburn exclaimed to an approaching Catherine.

"Oh, stop whining, Cole. It's just an incendiary round.", the sentinel retorted as she helped him up.

"How'd you know it's incendiary?"

"I was the one who cleaned your wound after the trip to The Malibu, remember?", she reminded. "Good times, those days.", Catherine said wistfully as they began making their way to the shuttle.

"_Good times?_ I was shot!"

"You're such a baby, you know that?"

"Hey, guys, I don't mean to interrupt your chit-chatting, but what are we supposed to with this bloke's body?", Napier asked.

"Get him onto the shuttle as well.", Desmont said as he helped Michelle onto the shuttle.

"_Duh._", Napier replied. "But who?"

"The only one with free hands!"

The soldier slapped himself on the forehead as realisation dawned on him.

"Hurry up, Napier! What are you waiting for? The blizzard?", Catherine shouted.

"Aww man!"

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-SSV Michigan-

_Desmont_

"Do you have any idea of the consequences for insubordination? I can have all three of you decommissioned immediately!"

The three N6s remained silent.

"You openly defied my direct order to return to the Michigan and instead, went straight for Alpha without a second thought.", Anderson stated simply.

The French found himself dreading what the Captain was about to say next.

"And as a result, you successfully extracted Alpha safely, while neutralising the Ceberus mole at the same time.". Anderson's lips curled into a soft smile. "Well done."

Their eyebrows shot up at the unexpected compliment.

"Um... Thank you sir...", Napier said, voice abnormally soft.

"We'll have the official debriefing when we reach Rio de Janeiro. Meanwhile, I imagine you three will want to visit your friends at the medbay. That'll be all. Dismissed."

The trio saluted their superior officer as he left the room, and started to laugh as soon he was out of sight.

"Well, Desmont, are you damned now?", Napier asked smugly.

"You just got lucky, Napier."

"But you said-"

"Don't push it."

"Fine. But I still win!", the Briton exclaimed triumphantly.

Catherine arched an eyebrow. "Is there a race here someone didn't tell me about?"

Desmont merely shook his head. "Nah. We just have a child for a teammate."

"Hey!"

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-Two weeks later, Earth, Napa Valley, California-

_Michelle_

The past fortnight had went without a hitch. Due to the fact that there was no apparent lead to follow up on -because Karl Lenin was dead- the Alliance brass had provided the N6s with a fully paid trip to Napa Valley in order to 'relieve them of their ordeal' back on Mindoir. Michelle knew for a fact that no one would truly relax with lingering questions about Ceberus and its mole, but they tried to make the best of it.

They had just finished dinner, and while the other three were indoors partying with the rest of the twenty-plus tour group members, she had instead opted to share a quiet drink with Colburn. Tonight would be her last chance to bid farewell.

"You know, standing here and sipping wine was the last thing on my mind two weeks ago.", he said, eyes fixated on the breathtaking scenery of trees and greenery in front of him.

"There's a lot of stuff we can't predict, can we?", she replied, taking a small sip of port. "Cole... I'm- I'm sorry."

"We've been through this a thousand times. You don't need to apologise. You didn't do anything wrong on Mindoir.". He turned to look at her face-to-face, but she found it difficult to meet his eyes.

His next sentence caught her off guard.

"_Unless you're apologising for something else that I should know about._"

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_Colburn_

Her expression at the statement only proved Tantus right.

"I've received intel from a trusted source that Kai Leng wasn't working alone. He had someone to help him out. They told me it was you. Please tell me I'm wrong."

There, he said it out loud. No candy coating, no beating about the bush. He was hoping she would deny.

He saw Michelle draw in a shaky breath. "It's true."

"Why?", he asked, voice level. He wasn't angry, wasn't indignant. He was simply disappointed.

"_Michael._"

"Your brother?"

"The Illusive Man made me an offer. If I worked for him, he would cure Michael."

"You know that's a lie. He doesn't have a cure."

"You don't know that! I'd do anything to have him back."

"Including betray us?", he questioned. "Even if Ceberus does cure your brother, how do you think he'll feel?"

She didn't answer.

"So what were you planning to do? Continue to rat us out until everyone finds out?"

"I'm leaving tonight.", was her only reply.

"Why are you telling me? Campbell's still recuperating at Huerta. You nearly got us all killed on Mindoir. I should -and I can- put a bullet through your head right now."

"But you won't, will you?"

"Not if you come with me, back to the Alliance. I'll do everything I can to help you."

"I can't, Cole, I can't go back. I don't have a choice."

"_You do._ You always do."

Michelle shook her head. "No. Not this time."

He closed his eyes as she leaned in for the kiss. Her lips tasted of port, and he used it to distract himself because he didn't want to hear her next words.

"Goodbye Cole."

By the time he opened his eyes again, she was gone. He took a gulp of his pinot as he saw Catherine approach.

"Where's Michelle?"

"She's gone, Cath. We've lost her."

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_Michelle_

As promised, her transport arrived right on the dot.

"Get in. You don't want to keep The Illusive Man waiting."

A sudden wave of panic paralysed her for a few seconds. Once she got in, there would truly be no turning back. But the reminder of Gregory Hutcherson's words helped her suppress them as she got into the skycar. The Rear Admiral had warned her that it would most probably be a one-way trip, but she still said 'yes' anyway.

_There's really no turning back now._

Her eyes shot up in a mixture of surprise and disbelief when she saw her driver.

"_Kai Leng? _What are you doing here? You're supposed to be lying in the morgue!"

"_No_.", the Ceberus operative said calmly.

"That idiot you shot on Mindoir was Karl Lenin, my twin brother. _I'm the real Kai Leng._"

**A/N: Hoped you guys are satisfied with this. Oh, and iBayne, I think it's safe to use your 'Holy fuck!' now.**


	36. Chapter 36

**A/N: Dedicating this chapter to my good buddy Anthea (she sits beside me, and we plot sinister schemes against our math teacher on a daily basis). She's just clinched first place on the second annual K-pop Star Hunt and is going to Seoul to be professionally trained as an artiste! Congratulations and all the best, mate!**

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Chapter 36: Exit Miles Colburn, enter Drake Frost.

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-Citadel, Presidium Commons, July 2181-

_Catherine_

"Eight months, Cath, _eight months. _That's two-thirds of a year and we have absolutely _nothing_ on Ceberus. No clues, no leads, no tip offs. _Zero._"

"You're exaggerating, Cole. It isn't zero. We nearly got them once, remember? On Watson!"

"Oh, don't you even _dare_ remind me about Watson. When we got there, all we saw were their bloody tail lights! And after that? _Zilch_."

"Don't you think you're taking things a little too personal?", Catherine asked. "I mean, I know you and Michelle were... _close..._"

"You read too much into our relationship. We were just good friends, like you and me.", Colburn denied.

"No.", the sentinel argued. "Campbell and Desmont are _just good friends._ You and I are _brother and sister._ Napier and I are _frenemies._ You and her... There was something else, something more, wasn't there?"

"Okay, _fine._ Maybe there was.", he admitted. "But take note that _'was'_ is the operative word. The next time I see her, it's _shoot on sight_."

"Hey, relax. Don't brood over the negative stuff.", she said, trying to cheer him up. "Campbell and the rest are meeting up at Chora's Den. You should come, have a drink with us. It'll help take your mind off things."

Colburn sighed. "Nah. I've got a ton of paperwork to do. Rain check?"

"Okay then.". She gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Don't push yourself too hard, alright?"

"No promises."

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_Colburn_

What Catherine had previously said a few minutes ago was only half of the truth. The betrayal of Michelle was only part of the reason of his obsession with Ceberus. Kai Leng's last words on Mindoir still remained crystal clear in his mind.

_"Idiot. If I wanted to take your lives, I could've done so. The only reason you're still breathing is because The Illusive Man demands it."_

_Kai Leng was right. I am an idiot. If I didn't interrupt him, I wouldn't be guessing right now._

Sighing, he landed and parked his skycar.

_Better luck next time, Cole._

The vanguard stifled a yawn as he walked to his apartment.

_Darn it, it's only eight and I'm sleepy. Should've gotten a triple shot of espresso before I came back. Oh well, too late. Now I have to switch on the coffee machine and wait for another half hour,_ he mentally grumbled to himself as he opened the front door.

He subtly smiled in amusement to himself as he entered the apartment.

_This is interesting._

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_Michelle_

She watched without a sound as the vanguard made his way to the kitchen and open the fridge, scouring for something to drink. She hated what she was about to do, but it wasn't as if she had a say.

_This is for the greater good,_ the infiltrator told herself. _He'll understand._

Unexpectedly, the N7 suddenly pulled out a pistol from the refrigerator and immediately opened fire at the lamp in the living room. "I know you're here. Don't be such a chicken and show yourself!", he shouted.

Michelle's eyes widened in alarm. _He knows I'm here?_ She looked down at her hands, but saw nothing. _It can't be! My invisibility cloak is still active!_

Her eyes grew even wider when she heard somebody clap.

They weren't alone.

"Impressive.", an unexpected Kai Leng remarked. "Frankly speaking, I'm in awe.", the adept said as he stepped away from the shadows, just beside the lamp Colburn had shot. "Are you surprised to see me?"

"Kai Leng? What the Hell are you doing here? You're supposed to be at the morgue!"

"Sorry to disappoint you, but the baffoon your teammates shot on Mindoir wasn't me. I am the real Kai Leng.", he announced.

"Stop playing games.", Colburn growled. "I should shoot you _right here, right now._"

"But you haven't, you're not, and you aren't going to.", Kai Leng mused.

"And the only reason for that is because I want answers.", the vanguard countered. "Why does The Illusive Man want me alive?"

"Why not make a guess?"

"_Not interested_, God damn it! _Why?_ "

"Make me a deal and _maybe_ I'll tell you."

_That's my cue._

Slowly, the infiltrator tiptoed towards the vanguard from behind as the other Ceberus operative distracted him. In one fluid motion, she activated her Omni-blade, which had been altered to act like a taser instead of a lethal weapon.

She forced herself to hold the taser in place as it made contact with the back of the N7's neck. Michelle heard a few grunts before Colburn's body fell limply to the ground.

_I'm sorry, Cole, but it has to be done._

"Well done.", Kai Leng said as she deactivated her cloak and materialised. "Nice and quick."

The infiltrator didn't respond, but merely pressed a finger to her earpiece. "It's done."

"Nice work, Miss Hanson. I see you didn't disappoint me.", the voice said, tone obviously pleased.

"What do we do with him?"

"Bring him back to headquarters. The first and most important step has been completed. Now the Phoenix shall come to life."

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-3 days later, Citadel, Human Embassy-

_Napier_

"He's been missing for more than forty-eight hours and you still have nothing? What the heck is wrong with you people?!", Catherine shouted at Hackett's hologram.

"We don't have evidence, currently. But we will find him, eventually."

"Oh sure, you'll find him.", the sentinel retorted sarcastically. "You'll find his dried up corpse ten years later, maybe."

"Why don't we report it to C-Sec? The more people working on the case, the faster we'll find Colburn, right?", Campbell suggested.

"No!", Udina, the Human ambassador said harshly. "No one else must know, especially Citadel Security! If this is connected to Ceberus, Humanity's trustworthiness to the Citadel Council will be nonexistent!"

And now Napier was angry. "And then what? We wait til some body's found floating in the Presidium lake? We've got a soldier in trouble and possibly kidnapped by a terrorist organisation and you're worried about Humanity's image?"

"Napier has a point.", Desmont supported. "Besides, there's too much red tape to go through. It's going to take centuries. We _need_ C-Sec's help to find Colburn."

"Nobody is allowed to report this to anyone else. _And that's an order._", Hackett commanded.

"You know, when Cole told me how much of an idiot you were, I only thought you were half stupid. Now I know that you don't even have a brain!", Catherine suddenly burst out. "As slow as C-Sec is, they're probably quicker than us by a hundred times. I'm going to find him, with or without the Alliance.". The sentinel stormed off, but not before saying: "You'll have my resignation letter in your email tomorrow."

"Ya know, she's right. In fact, I think we'll be better off without you.", he said in disgust. "So much for N7. I can't believe I even signed up for this shit. This insignia's a disgrace."

"Napier...", Desmont cautioned.

"No, Louis. It's the truth.". The Briton turned towards Hackett. "Check for a second email in your inbox tomorrow morning."

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-Citadel, Zakera Ward, Darkstar Lounge-

_Catherine_

"I can't believe you've quit too.", the sentinel admitted as she took a sip of beer.

"Hackett was being a real dick, Udina's an ass, and the whole Alliance's just fucked up. I have no idea why I used to think joining the military was just a great idea. I wanted to prove myself when I got the opportunity to join the N7. Now I know it's just a small paint job with two letters on it."

"But you wouldn't have done it if I hadn't, would you?"

"Hey, don't think so highly of yourself, okay?", Napier said after gulping down half of the bottle's contents. "But all joking aside, I've got your back, alright? When I said we're a team and cover each other's backs, I didn't say it just to hear myself speak. We stick together, no matter what."

She smiled before raising her bottle. "Thanks, Napier."

The soldier gently clinked his beer with hers. "You bet."

MDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMD

-Ceberus Headquarters-

"Miles Colburn has been secured. He won't pose a problem anymore.", the adept reported.

The Illusive Man nodded in approval. "Good. Mr Hutcherson, how is Project Phoenix coming along?"

"Very smoothly. With Drake Frost now on standby, I don't think there'll be anymore delays or hiccups if everything proceeds as planned."

The Illusive Man's lips curled into a small smile. "Excellent. I've been waiting for this day. Initiate Project Phoenix and begin with total facial reconstruction on Frost. I want an update on a daily basis. Understand?"

**A/N: Now you guys might think it's odd that I'm actually showing what's going on at the bad guys' side, and why I'm doing their POVs as well. I'm not gonna be giving anything away, but the story's cover picture should be a big enough clue. :P See ya!**


	37. FINAL CHAPTER!

**A/N: Considering Colburn's future absence (don't worry, he's not dead yet, _I think._) and the change in focus of characters, I've decided to categorise future chapters under another story. Therefore, this'll be the last chapter for Metamorphosis. The sequel, Apotheosis, has already had it's first chapter posted. Go subscribe to it! Quick! :D **

MDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMD

Chapter 37: Alternatives.

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-Citadel, Huerta Memorial Hospital-

_Catherine_

"Are you sure this'll work? I mean, he's never even met you!"

"I know he's never met _me,_ but he's met Cole before! After Hanson joined Ceberus, he still continued visiting her brother. He has to know something, right?"

"I don't know...", Napier said, voice heavily accented with doubt. "Just in case you haven't realised, the chap's in the 'mental' department. Guy's probably bonkers!"

"Well, unless you have a better plan, this is our best bet."

MDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMD

_Napier_

"They have made their choice! They need him to continue! It's done! There's no turning back!"

_Why am I here again?_

"Who are you talking about? What do you mean by 'they need him'?", Catherine asked, refusing to give up.

"Oh come on!", Napier whispered harshly to her. "He's a flippin' nutjob, for Christ's sake! He doesn't even know what he's yappin' on about!"

The sentinel shrugged him aside.

"My sister... She doesn't want to! But it was not hers to decide! You must forgive her!"

"What did she do?"

Michael Hanson proceeded to mumble something incoherently.

Catherine put her ears next to his lips. "What did you say? Say it again."

Napier saw the sentinel's eyebrows furrow, as if she was trying to solve a riddle.

"Well, what it is?", the soldier asked.

"Drake Frost."

"Huh?"

"That's all he said, _Drake Frost._"

"Who the heck is that?"

"How would I know?"

"Weapon...", Michael Hanson cut in. "_Ceberus._"

MDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMD

_Catherine_

The past two hours of cajoling and patient persuasion hadn't been as fruitless as Napier had said it to be after all. Even though they left the hospital with even more questions, at least now they knew that Ceberus, Michelle Hanson, and a certain Drake Frost was involved.

"Great. Now we're jobless and have no leads. How and where are we supposed to start with?", Napier asked.

"We're fully qualified N7s! There's gotta be a job that needs our expertise."

"_Oh sure_.", he said sarcastically. "We could join C-Sec, _if_ we could get a letter of recommendation from the Alliance. But you'll pardon me if I think that's impossible, especially after what happened yesterday. Hackett and Udina will _never_ give us their support."

"We _can,_ actually...", Catherine said, a sly smile on her face. "We just need to go to the right person."

"I don't think I'm going to like this..."

MDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMD

_Tantus_

"You're telling me you want to join C-Sec? And you want me to put in a good word for you?"

The day had started odd enough, with Catherine bringing along a red-haired stranger to his apartment. Coupled with new knowledge of their hasty resignation from the Alliance and a sudden desire to join Citadel Security, the whole thing was nothing less than strange.

"Catherine, I know you're anxious to find Colburn, but I've already initiated my own lines of inquiry. With all the necessary discretion, such a delicate matter will certainly take time. But my informers will let me know of any new clues firsthand."

"Yeah, and by the time we find him, it's going to be his corpse.", she retorted. "Napier and I went to do a little digging today, and we've found out that Ceberus' involved in all of this."

"And there's this guy... I think his name is Drake Frost... Somehow he's got a part in this too.", Napier added. His accent was unusual. Tantus believed the human term was 'British'.

"See?", Catherine pointed out. "Your informers didn't know that! We can do this, Tantus.", she pleaded. "All we need is an opportunity. We'll be able to find leads much faster than anyone else. The reason why we quit the Alliance's because there's too much red tape to go through. If we're C-Sec, we can have both the resources and freedom."

"Yes.", the Briton agreed. "With your backing as a Spectre, we can get in without any problems."

The Turian sighed. "Alright. I'll give Executor Pallin a call."

"Who's that?", Napier asked.

"Executor Venari Pallin. Basically the head of C-Sec. I should be able to deal with him, but be prepared."

MDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMD

-C-Sec Headquarters-

_Napier_

The soldier had to admit, Tantus wasn't as scary as he imagined to be. Friendly, even. The second Turian they were talking to now, though, was another story. When Tantus had told them to 'prepare' themselves, he wasn't joking.

"This is preposterous! You want me to immediately declare them fit for duty, without even any sort of qualification test? That's impossible!"

"They're N7 graduates! The best damned elites of the Systems Alliance! They don't need anymore training!", Tantus argued.

"So what?", the other Turian countered. "You Spectres think you're above the law, don't you? Doing anything that you desire! Unless you give me a bloody good reason, I am not-"

"Let me remind you, Venari. Spectre stands for SPECial Tactics and REconnaissance. The council gave us our powers for a damn good reason! We're the ones who prevent those criminals from escaping the hands of justice because of stupid loopholes in the law!"

"You-"

"And I'm not obliged to give you _any_ reason. It's confidential and classified. If you're not happy, go and complain to the Council. But until then, you do as I say. Are we clear?"

Despite the Turians' absence of facial muscles, the anger in Pallin's eyes were very much evident.

"_Fine._ But this won't be gone unreported to the Council, Bexcal. _Remember that_.", Pallin threatened.

The Executor reluctantly turned on the terminal on his office desk. "Vakarian, come in here right now. There are a few new colleagues I want you to meet."

**A/N: Well, there you go! Now you know there's going to be Garrus inside Apotheosis, huh? I hope to see all of you at the sequel! Now, here's some facts you never knew about Metamorphosis!**

**Colburn- As my old readers from SIC would know, Cole's my favourite toy to mess with. Thank God he's not a real person, or I'd be charged with physical torture and mental abuse. :O**

**Desmont- Armageddon Coconut's character. Desmont's the big brother of the group. He's like that big heavy anchor that keeps the younger members attached to the ground. Don't worry, he's sticking around for Apotheosis.**

**Michelle- The reason I created was because I felt that the story needed more female characters. There was too much male energy, and Catherine needed someone she could relate to. That Michelle/Cole thing was something of an impulsive thing, I did it because I didn't what else to (What the heck, I know). But this has provided much more plot twists for Apotheosis, so I don't regret it.**

**Campbell- Another one of my creations. He's something for a background character in Metamorphosis, because I really couldn't find anywhere to squeeze him into. But he has his uses, I promise.**

**Catherine- She's one of my favourite characters. Her character is actually a combination of a lot of my classmates. We all have/need a spitfire in our lives, that awesome and important friend that suggests crazy ideas, 'abuses' you for no reason, but is ultimately a pal that comes through for you. There will also be those moments where conflicts arise, and going by her dominant personality, won't back down so easily. I'm going to amplify that in Apotheosis, because obviously she's the lead character for it.**

**Napier- iBayne's character. Believe it or not, this guy's my favourite character (the lead character doesn't always have to be the most favoured one, right?) He's the representation of myself in Metamorphosis. The 'fall guy', the one that gets laughed at, with the lame jokes and all. As goofy as he is, he's the person you'd depend on when you get into trouble. His backstory will be fleshed out in the sequel (which is undoubtedly largely influenced by mine). You've guessed it, he's the secondary protagonist in Apotheosis.**

**Apart from The Illusive Man and Garrus Vakarian, I'll also be using the chance to expand on very minor characters into main ones for Apotheosis, because I really feel that BioWare wasted a chance to have a really diverse and interesting bunch of characters. Armistan Banes, Detective Chellick, ExecutorVenari Pallin (all of them are from ME1) and even Randall Ezno (from ME: Infiltrator) and Private Campbell (the cameo guard in ME3. Note the surname. *hint hint*) will have a role in Apotheosis.**

**Once again, it's been a great run with you guys. There's been quite a few new followers! Special thanks go to iBayne, Armageddon Coconut, as well as my classmates (who continue reading even though they have no idea of the ME terminology and game). **

**Once again, thanks all! See you at Apotheosis!**

**-ConvictionSC**

**PS: Tell me who's your favourite character and if they're any romance pairings you want. I'll consider them, but no promises!**


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